This archive report was first published on 18 July 2020.
Portland, Oregon, has seen a surge in protests against the presence of federal officers, who have been accused of using excessive force and violating the law.
On Friday and Saturday, hundreds of protesters gathered in the city, with some calling the federal officers 'terrorists' and chanting 'Whose streets? Our streets.'
The protests have been ongoing for more than 50 consecutive nights, with a court ruling largely prohibiting local police from using tear gas.
Mayor Ted Wheeler and other city leaders have called for federal agencies to stay away, with City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty saying the city will 'not allow armed military forces to attack our people.'
Hardesty added, 'Today we show the country and the world that the city of Portland, even as much as we fight among ourselves, will come together to stand up for our Constitutional rights.'
Prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the injury of a protester who was shot in the head with a less-lethal weapon, and Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum has filed a lawsuit accusing federal officers of unlawful tactics.
The pushback against the militarized federal deployment has extended to the streets, with protesters rejuvenating a movement that had shown signs of slowing down.
Along with street medics and a snack van offering free food and drinks, protesters have also set up a makeshift kitchen and a stand selling T-shirts promoting racial equity.
Protests around the federal courthouse have drawn the ire of federal leaders, with Chad F. Wolf, the acting secretary of Homeland Security, sharing images of himself in front of graffitied walls.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said she believed the protests were starting to ease before the federal officers waded into the scene, and Mayor Wheeler said he believes the unified local response could change the federal tactics and keep federal officers off the streets.
