Federal Agents Agree to Withdraw From Portland, With Conditions - The New York Times
This should be interesting.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Gov. Kate Brown of Oregon said the teams will begin a withdrawal on Thursday. Federal officials cautioned that they will withdraw only when they are confident the federal courthouse can be secured.
The arrival of federal officers triggered a dramatic escalation in protests in downtown Portland, Ore.
Credit...Mason Trinca for The New York Times
By Mike Baker
- July 29, 2020 Updated 4:54 p.m. ET
Federal tactical teams that have clashed with protesters in Portland in recent weeks will soon begin leaving the city, Gov. Kate Brown of Oregon said Wednesday.
Under an agreement between Ms. Brown and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the governor's office said the Oregon State Police will provide security for the exterior of the city's federal courthouse, while the usual team of federal officers that protects the courthouse year-round will continue to provide security for the interior of the building.
Ms. Brown said the federal tactical teams that had deployed to the city would begin a phased withdrawal on Thursday. But Chad Wolf, the acting secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement that though the department has agreed with the Oregon governor on a plan, the department will proceed with the withdrawal of security personnel in Portland only if federal officials are confident that federal properties will no longer be under attack.
"State and local law enforcement will begin securing properties and streets, especially those surrounding federal properties, that have been under nightly attack for the past two months," Mr. Wolf said. "We anticipate the ability to change our force posture," he added, once circumstances on the ground "significantly improve" with the deployment of additional state and local law enforcement.
Hours before the announcement of the agreement, President Trump doubled down on the need for the increased federal presence in Portland.
"You hear all sorts of reports about us leaving," Mr. Trump said. "We're not leaving until they've secured their city. We told the governor. We told the mayor. Secure your city. If they don't secure their city soon, we have no choice. We're going to have to go in and clean it out."
The arrival of federal forces to protect the courthouse after weeks of raucous demonstrations outside protesting the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis infuriated local officials who did not ask for the federal deployment. It also triggered a dramatic escalation in the protests in downtown Portland, with demonstrators mounting nightly rallies outside the courthouse that often included tear gas and fireworks.
"These federal officers have acted as an occupying force, refused accountability, and brought violence and strife to our community," Ms. Brown said.
Ms. Brown said that Vice President Mike Pence was among the people involved in the discussions to withdraw the federal officers.
The announcement came a day after officials in Washington State announced that a federal tactical team that had arrived last week in Seattle had since departed the city. Leaders in Seattle have dealt with their own protests, including one over the weekend in solidarity with Portland that included burned buildings, broken windows and local police repeatedly firing crowd-dispersal weapons.
Portland has seen more than 60 days of consecutive protests since Mr. Floyd's death. Much of the strife in the city had been between Portland police officers and the protesters.
But after President Trump issued an executive order to protect statues and federal property, federal officials sent militarized tactical teams to Portland. They employed aggressive tactics to keep demonstrators away from federal property. One protester was shot in the head with a crowd-control munition, and a Navy veteran was hit repeatedly with a baton as he stood still. In a tactic that was challenged in court by the Oregon attorney general, the federal officers used unmarked vans to target protesters for arrest.
Protest crowds have grown into the thousands, drawing out groups of mothers, military veterans and nurses, though Mr. Trump has portrayed the protest crowd as "violent anarchists." Some protesters have lobbed water bottles and fireworks while also pointing lasers at federal officers.
In addition to the Federal Protective Service, which normally employs mostly security contractors to guard the courthouse, the Trump administration has also deployed tactical agents from the Homeland Security Department and the U.S. Marshals to the courthouse and a federal office building nearby.
Earlier this week, the U.S. Marshals said they had identified 100 additional marshals to back up the officers protecting the courthouse.
Zolan Kanno-Youngs contributed reporting.
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Weeks of growing violent attacks on the Federal Buildings and local Federal personnel are what prompted the increased Federal presence in Portland in the first place. As of July 22, 28 Federal officers have been injured in Portland trying to secure Federal property and protect personnel as they are legally allowed/obligated to do. Not to mention the local and State police who were injured prior to the backup Federal marshals. It will indeed be interesting to see what happens after the withdrawal both in Portland and elsewhere around the country.
The irony is that from all the reports from the DHS et. al., Federal Agents were no more successful at 'protecting' the federal courthouse than the Portland police were before their deployment.
They made a lot of arrests and those people will face federal charges. The Oregon state police have to demonstrate that they can secure the court house and other federal property and personnel in Portland before the extra federal civilian law enforcement will leave.
How do you figure? The building has not been burned to the ground for one thing. They have protected it from any further damage than was already done before the Federal reinforcements were sent in early/mid July.
HERE is a report from the DHS dispelling the various myths perpetuated by the media and local politicians in Portland.
The fencing and protective barriers around the Courthouse have been reinforced just last week. Certainly more arrests have been made as attempts to injure Federal officers continues, but the property and personnel are certainly being better protected than they were before reinforcements arrived. Additional DHS press releases can be found HERE . July 30 report HERE .
Like I said. It will be interesting to see if the State and local authorities hold up their end of the bargain as the back-up Federal officers are withdrawn.
They admit that buildings under their 'protection' were damaged on their watch multiple times.
That's just up until the 16th.
BTW, the Portland Police were making arrests for destruction of Federal property prior to the Federal deployment.
I don't think that 60 arrests in a month is a lot considering the hair on fire threat the Feds pretend the 'anarchists' are to national security.
My understanding is there will still be a cadre of federal officers inside the buildings , outside will be state and possably local LEO.
That is incorrect. Any criminal activity involving assaults on the actual Federal property and personnel are under the jurisdiction of Federal authorities. A local news report makes this clear specifically regarding events on July 2 & 3.
Note the charges brought by the local police do not include Federal charges specific to crimes against Federal properties/personnel. They are related to what the Portland police declared to be a "riot", and after several warnings to disperse were issued. Since that time, many more arrests have been made by Federal authorities to be tried as Federal offenses, not by Portland or State police. And in fact, local and State police have since (with a few exceptions) not had much of a presence in subsequent riots in the vicinity of Federal properties.
Yes that is correct. In fact, the contingent of Federal Officers inside the buildings have always been there. They are locals, this is their community too. Many of them were doxed by the rioters who then also threatened their families.
It will be interesting to see if the State and local LEO's will show up at all, or if they do, will they be taking the Mayor's or Governor's hands-off approach that the local LEOs have complained about now for many years. From what I have gathered from various sources, the LEO's aren't the problem, it is lack of support from local politicians that have underfunded their departments all the while handcuffing their response to quell violent and destructive riots, not just the recent ones. Again, will be interesting to see how this turns out.
So what?
Your own link states that the 'riot' was declared because of their continued attacks on the Federal courthouse. They refused to disperse from the streets around the Federal courthouse. Trying to pretend that the arrests weren't made because they continued to attack Federal property is obtuse.
The majority of "damages" to federal buildings was one broken window and I believe 11 of the "damages" to federal buildings was graffiti. Folks act like roving bands of protesters are burning down the city. I believe $5,000 worth of damage was done to the Court House.
The protests have been confined to an area encompassing about two blocks.
This was why Barr/tRumps' thugs/goons were called in? For "damages" to property?
Read the charges - all related to disorderly conduct, assaulting Portland officers, resisting arrest, all outside the Court House.
Knock it off with the "obtuse" bullshit. You specifically said, "...the Portland Police were making arrests for destruction of Federal property...." You were wrong, I pointed that out rationally without calling you ignorant or obtuse. Deal with it!
well I can think of one LEO unit not beholden to the state OR the mayor for their budget, and most people overlook them.
That would be the County sherriff, the highest ELECTED LEO presence in any county, their budget is dictated by a board of county commissioners , not a mayor or the governor.
and being an elected and not an appointed official , he is responsible only to those that elected them to office .his boss is the people that elected him.or her.
and county sheriffs also have the authority and power to form posses and deputize people if needed .
Food for thought for those tired of anarchist bullshit.
Wow! $5,000?!!! Two block area?!!! Hard to believe that you haven't seen any of the news since the beginning of all this in late May/early June! Allow me to help.
HERE is a local news article from July 7
Another from June 24
And this is from earlier, before and just as additional Federal agents were sent in as Federal facilities were now being targeted. Imagine the numbers now almost a month later. Not to mention the dozens of officers, local and Federal, who have been injured in the ongoing attacks.
More local news HERE from July 22 describing damage to local businesses.
Perhaps you should ask some of the local downtown business owners about "damages" to their very livelihoods and who they think is to blame for letting it go to the extent that it has.
Honestly Tessy, folks need to know the reality of what is going on (not a heavily watered down version) and how it has moved so far outside any of the initial concerns about George Floyd and the original message of Black Lives Matter. The violence/destruction and the politics surrounding it has been viciously counterproductive when it comes to the goal of bringing law enforcement closer to the needs of the communities they are supposed to be protecting.
You keep asking the question . . . I've wasted far too much time on this nonsense/yours and freewills
What nonsense? I have presented FACTS. What have you brought to the discussion other than false statements and insults?
Yes the additional agents were brought in to protect Federal property and personnel from increasing attack consistent with 40 US Code 1315 . Shall they have just stepped aside and let them burn the building down, possibly threatening other nearby structures as well? What was the alternative in your mind Tessy? I am willing to listen if you can present facts and reasoned analysis without insults and vitriol.
Where is the nonsense in examining the facts and the reports from the Portland police and local sheriffs departments as far as what was happening on the streets and the lead up to the targeting of Federal buildings? Please....enlighten us.
well going along with my post below , that indelible dye would make it easy for them , of course that would require an anon phone call to let them know what to look for , im the kind of A hole that would shoot someone in the nutsack with a pepperball so they feel like they had the worst case of crabs they ever had , and then to add insult I would wait till they bent over and shoot them in the asshole with a ghost pepper juice ball...
What was the 'disorderly conduct'?
Yet YOUR link states from the start that:
You mean even greater anarchy and social breakdown? Wonder how long it will be before the governor of Oregon and the mayor of Portland are begging for more help? Hope those people are sued up tha yazoo with lawsuits!
Perhaps. Ever wonder why the rioters were targeting specifically Federal buildings in the first place? You think it might have been to elicit a Federal response? To what end do you suppose?
it will be interesting to see if the trogledytes even notice the difference in distinction of jurisdiction , or if a cop is a cop is a cop.
What I am actually surprised about is that someone outside LE that supports LE, and is tired of this anarchistic , Bs hasn't sat down thought of and got a group together , and assembled a small team with professional paintball guns and targeted the agitators and the instigators for a painting party.
pepper balls are not hard to get, might be a little harder to find those indellable dye balls and some of those good pressure adjustable paintball guns have a pretty impressive range and accuracy, common mortar fireworks one can get at any fireworks stand , all that's needed is to scout the areas out , id the instigators and agitators and target them , and launch a few of the INs that the crowds been using back at them , with a 2 min window , then didi mow out and I doubt the cops would even go looking for them once they realize that they were not the targets of course this is predicated that nothing is done until violence has already been initiated
Likely be 20 miles away and drinking a beer before anyone really figured anything out .
of course those professional paintball guns that are adjustable have a range of about 300 yards , effective range with good optics they can hit a bulls ball sac at 100 yards ( I would recommend that as a target on instigators with a pepper ball and ghost pepper juice).
those anarchists would likely think the gates of hell opened over their heads .