A black man with an American flag has been filmed telling protesters in Portland, “None of you represents the life of blacks.”
The unidentified protester stood in front of the Federal Court on Saturday night, images shared on Twitter programs. In the clip, try to protect the building from vandals who knocked down a fence.
Portland has seen nearly two months of nightly protests since the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. On Saturday night, protesters broke into a building, set it on fire and started garbage dump fires, police said.
The man says to the protesters: ‘If you defend justice, come here and stay with me, stay with me because I defend justice. I am not here to tear down this fence, I am not here to spray paint.
He adds: ‘It is happening every day. If you don’t want to be gassed, stop! It has to stop! None of you represents the life of blacks.
Protesters removed the fence that had been placed around federal court on Saturday and turned it into barricades, police tweeted.
WARNING: GRAPHIC LANGUAGE
A black man with an American flag tells protesters in Portland that ‘none of you represents the life of blacks’ as he tries to protect the Federal Court from vandals.
A protester knocks on pieces of fences blocking a gate used by federal law enforcement officers deployed under the Trump administration’s executive order to protect federal monuments and buildings, during a protest on Saturday night
A protester dances around a fire started by protesters while burning a peace sign near the Federal Courthouse in Portland on Saturday night
The Portland mayor said Sunday that the presence of federal agents is exacerbating tensions in Portland. Speaking about CNN Democrat Ted Wheeler, he said federal officials are not wanted here. We have not asked them here. In fact, we want them to go away.
He said: ‘Well, the President has a complete misunderstanding of cause and effect. What happens here is that we have dozens, if not hundreds of federal troops descending on our city. And what they are doing is, they are sharply escalating the situation. Your presence here is actually leading to more violence and more vandalism.
‘And it’s not helping the situation at all. You don’t want them here. We have not asked them here. In fact, we want them to go away. What we are seeing is a blatant abuse of police tactics by the federal government, by a Trump administration that is falling in the polls. And this is a direct threat to our democracy. ‘
President Donald Trump denounced the protests, and Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf criticized the protesters as “lawless anarchists” on a visit to the city on Thursday.
“We are trying to help Portland, not hurt him,” Trump tweeted Sunday. ‘His leadership, for months, has lost control of the anarchists and agitators. They lack action. We must protect federal property, AND OUR PEOPLE. It wasn’t just about protesters, it was real!
A fire in the Portland Police Association building was put out shortly thereafter, Portland police said on Twitter on Saturday. The department declared revolt and began work to clean up the downtown area.
‘When the crowd dispersed, several people in the crowd were arrested and officers were able to extinguish the fire. The Portland police did not use any CS gas, ” the office said in a statement Sunday morning.
Tear gas was deployed, according to the images and video of the scene, but it was not necessarily CS gas.
Police said the protesters had gathered Saturday night in the North Precinct of the Portland Police Office, smashing patrol vehicles and taunting officers as they reported to work.
The unidentified protester stood in front of the Federal Court on Saturday night, images shared on Twitter programs. In the clip try to protect the building.
Portland has seen nearly two months of nightly protests since the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Protesters are photographed on Friday night
Protesters disagree with the presence of an American flag during a protest in Portland on Saturday
Later, when police dispersed a group that had gathered near North Interstate Avenue, people threw paint-filled stones and balloons at officers. Some were injured, according to the statement.
Before aggressive language and action by federal officials, the riots had frustrated Wheeler and other local authorities, who had said a small group of violent activists was drowning out the message from peaceful protesters in the city. But Wheeler said the federal presence in the city is now exacerbating a tense situation.
“What we are seeing is a blatant abuse of police tactics by the federal government,” Wheeler said Sunday.
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum sued Homeland Security and the Marshals Service in federal court on Friday night.
The complaint says unidentified federal agents have captured people from the streets of Portland “without warning or explanation, without a court order, and without providing any way to determine who is leading this action.”
Rosenblum said he was seeking a temporary restraining order to “immediately stop federal authorities from illegally detaining Oregonians.”
However, federal officials and Portland police simultaneously advanced on protesters to clear the streets early Saturday morning, making arrests as protesters dumped bottles and pieces of metal fencing.
Protesters push a wire fence against an entrance to the Multnomah County Justice Center in an attempt to prevent police from leaving the building during a protest on Friday.
A smoke grenade burns in front of federal law enforcement officers, deployed under the new Trump administration executive order to protect federal monuments and buildings
The Portland police action was condemned by Jo Ann Hardesty, a prominent member of the City Council. Hardesty said Saturday that local police “joined the aggressive crackdown on the peaceful protest.”
Hardesty also criticized Wheeler and told the mayor that he needed to better control the local police. Hardesty, who oversees the city’s fire department and other first responders, said in an open letter to Wheeler if “you can’t control the police, give me the Portland Police Office.”
In a statement Saturday, Portland police said that while responding to protests overnight, some federal agencies took action “under their own supervision and direction.” Portland police said city officials arrested seven people, and one officer suffered minor injuries.
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