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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (July 21, 2020)
A3 THE ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, JULY 21, 2020 Protesters, police clash in Portland State and federal leaders seek investigation Associated Press PORTLAND — With unrest continuing, the fed- eral government is coming under increasing scrutiny for the activities of agents try- ing to clamp down on pro- tests in Oregon’s largest city — demonstrations that Pres- ident Donald Trump says are led by “anarchists and agitators.” Protesters outside Port- land’s U.S. courthouse set a fi re in the building’s entry- way early Monday in yet another night of confl ict with federal agents who repeatedly tear gassed the demonstrators to drive them away, offi cials said. Authorities over the weekend erected large fences around the building in an effort to keep away the protesters who have been on Portland’s streets daily since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis nearly two months ago. But video posted online showed protesters taking down the fencing and a state- ment from Portland’s city police department described the protesters’ tactics as they repeatedly headed toward the courthouse and were repelled by federal agents who emerged from inside. Hundreds of protest- ers were at the scene Sun- day night into early Mon- day morning and at one point “dozens of people with shields, helmets, gas masks, umbrellas, bats and hockey sticks approached the doors” of the courthouse until fed- eral offi cers came out and dispersed them, Portland police said in a statement. The protesters later lit a fi re at about 1:30 a.m. Mon- day within the portico of the courthouse, Portland police said, who stressed Noah Berger/AP Photos A protester burns an American fl ag outside the Mark O. Hatfi eld U.S. Courthouse on Monday in Portland. that their offi cers were not involved in any crowd con- trol measures, did not fi re tear gas and “were not pres- ent during any of the activity described.” Other people added wood and debris to the fi re to make it larger and federal agents came out of the courthouse and “dispersed the crowd and extinguished the fi re,” according to Portland police. The violence happened as local and state lead- ers expressed anger with the presence of the federal agents, saying that the city’s protests had started to ease just as the federal agents started taking action on the streets of Portland. Grafi tti outside the Mark O. Hatfi eld U.S. Courthouse on Monday. Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Dem- ocratic Mayor Ted Wheeler said federal offi cers “are not wanted here. We haven’t asked them here. In fact, we want them to leave.” Top leaders in the U.S. House said Sunday they were “alarmed” by the Trump administration’s tactics against protesters in Portland and other cit- ies, including Washington, D.C. They’ve called on fed- eral inspectors general to investigate. “This is a matter of utmost urgency,” wrote House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-New York, Homeland Security Committee Chair- man Bennie G. Thompson, D-Mississippi, and Over- sight and Reform Commit- tee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney, D-New York, in a letter to the inspectors general of Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security. The Democratic lawmak- ers are seeking an investiga- tion “into the use of federal law enforcement agencies by the Attorney General and the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security to sup- press First Amendment pro- tected activities in Wash- ington, D.C., Portland, and other communities across the United States.” Trump has decried the demonstrations, and Home- land Security Secretary Chad Wolf labeled the pro- testers as “lawless anar- chists” in a visit to Portland last Thursday. “We are trying to help Portland, not hurt it,” Trump tweeted Sunday. “Their leadership has, for months, lost control of the anarchists and agitators. They are miss- ing in action. We must pro- tect Federal property, AND OUR PEOPLE. These were not merely protesters, these are the real deal!” Late Saturday, Portland police said protesters broke into the building of the Port- land Police Association labor union that represents offi cers. Dumpster fi res were also set and fencing was moved and transformed into barricades, police said. Oregon Attorney Gen- eral Ellen Rosenblum sued Homeland Security and the Marshals Service in fed- eral court late Friday, alleg- ing that unidentifi ed federal agents grabbed people from Portland’s streets “with- out warning or explanation, without a warrant, and with- out providing any way to determine who is directing this action.” Rosenblum said she was seeking a temporary restraining order to “imme- diately stop federal authori- ties from unlawfully detain- ing Oregonians.” It was not immediately unclear whether anyone was arrested or detained during the protest that started Sun- day night. a smartER alternative WE’RE OPEN AND HERE FOR YOU! COVID-19 TESTING AVAILABLE! Our friendly and dedicated Physicians and Physician Assistants are available for all of your routine healthcare needs, not just for emergency situations! 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