The Portland City Council approved new policies on Wednesday that will immediately ban all members of the police office from working with federal law enforcement and prevent them from intentionally arresting or using force against journalists and legal observers.
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Commissioner Chloe Eudaly drafted the resolutions that both passed unanimously on Wednesday. The ban on police cooperation stems from the belief of the city council that “the current federal operations in Portland are an unprecedented and unconstitutional abuse of power by the federal government.”
The resolution states that any member of the Portland Police Office who “voluntarily provides, requests, or receives operational support from militarized federal forces” will be subject to disciplinary action. Any federal cooperation request from the Portland Police Office must be “immediately reported” to the entire city council by email.
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Federal agents use crowd control munitions to disperse Black Lives Matter protesters at the United States Mark O. Hatfield Courthouse in Portland, Oregon, on July 20, 2020. Officers used tear gas and projectiles. to move the crowd after some protesters tore down a fence in front of the courthouse. (AP Photo / Noah Berger)
The second resolution condemns and prevents police in Portland from arresting or using physical force against journalists and legal observers unless they have reasonable suspicions that the person has committed a crime. It follows a judge’s decision last week that accredited journalists and legal observers were exempt from arrest or threat by police in the city.
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Under the new policy, any member of the Portland Police Office who intentionally targets a member of the press during protests in violation of the July 16 injunction will be subject to disciplinary action. It will remain in effect as long as the judge’s order remains in effect.
“Addressing the press and legal observers is not compatible with American democracy,” the resolution said. “Portland supports democracy and opposes authoritarianism.”
Portland has experienced weeks of unrest following George Floyd’s police death in Minneapolis, and violence has recently escalated amid clashes between protesters and federal agents. The city is currently facing numerous lawsuits over police actions during the protests, which included the use of tear gas and assaults on the press, according to The Oregonian.
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Meanwhile, Mayor Ted Wheeler, police officers and other city leaders have criticized the actions of some protesters who set fire to fire, threw bottles at officers and smashed city property, the newspaper reported.
