The same day that Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan announced that federal agents dispatched to the city last week are demobilizing, the Trump administration reportedly began speaking Tuesday with Oregon Governor Kate Brown. , to get the agents out of Portland.
The reduction of federal officials would depend on Portland stepping up its own enforcement as the city continues to have major nighttime protests that often turn violent, a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity told the Associated Press.
The talks are in the early stages and there is no agreement, the official said.
Federal agents have recently been deployed to Seattle, Portland, and other cities to protect federal property from continued protests.
Meanwhile, Trump continued to criticize Portland’s leadership on Tuesday. “We, as you know, have done an excellent job watching Portland and watching our court where they wanted to set it on fire, they are anarchists, no less than anarchist agitators,” he said at a White House press conference. And we have protected it very powerfully. And if we weren’t there, I’ll tell you, you wouldn’t have a court. You’d have a billion-dollar burning building.
According to Judge Andrew Napolitano, the presence and tactics used by federal agents have been controversial, including not wearing identification uniforms and “arresting people without a warrant and without probable cause.”
PORTLAND HITS FOOD WITH $ 500 FINE EVERY 15 MINUTES NEARLY LOCATED OUTSIDE THE COURT BESIEGED
The Wall of Moms and Don’t Shoot Portland have sued the Department of Homeland Security, alleging that it unconstitutionally sent the federal federal police to disperse the crowds with tear gas and rubber bullets.
The American Civil Liberties Union also accused officers of violating a federal ruling that prohibits them from attacking journalists and legal observers in protests.
Last weekend, US Attorney Billy J. Williams in Oregon said in an interview that Portlanders should insist that “violent extremists” abandon the protests.
“Until that happens, we will do what we have to do to protect federal property,” he told Oregonian.
Protesters continually attempt to tear down a fence erected to protect the federal court, street fires are lit, and fireworks, Molotov cocktails, bricks, rocks, and bottles are fired at officers.
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In response, officers use tear gas, peppercorns, and stun grenades to push protesters back.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
