4 yıl önce

More militarised federal agents sent to fight #BLM protesters in Portland

Trump is increasing the number of militirised federal agents being sent to Portland, amid ongoing deployments to six other major cities.

AP

#BLM protester held down by militirised federal officers in Portland, Oregon on July 27, 2020.

The Trump administration is sending at least 100 additional federal officers to Portland, Oregon, the Washington Post reported on Monday, as confrontations between anti-racism protesters and federal authorities intensify.

The US Marshals Service decided last week to send 100 deputy marshals to fortify authorities guarding the federal courthouse in downtown Portland, the Post said, citing an internal email, who, according to the leaked email, began arriving last Thursday.

The Department of Homeland Security is considering sending 50 additional Customs and Border Protection personnel to the city, it said.

Reuters

Militirised federal agents are seen during a demonstration against the presence of federal law enforcement officers and racial inequality in Portland, Oregon, US, July 21, 2020.

These additional deployments follow weeks of controversy and tension over the presence of over 100 federal agents in the city, who arrived early July, though it's unclear how many are currently in the city.

With local officials accusing the federal forces of stoking tensions, nightly protests outside the federal courthouse have become increasingly violent, seeing injuries on both sides and tear gas as a nightly fixture.

Trump has also announced plans to send troops to other cities seeing rising violence and crime, including Chicago, which the the mayors of six cities (Portland, Seattle, Chicago, Kansas City, Albuquerque and Washington DC) protested on Monday, asking Congress to make it illegal for the federal government to deploy unwanted, militarised troops.