Portland Officials Demand Federal Officers Stop Arresting Protesters

Officials in Oregon are demanding that federal authorities leave Portland and stop arresting protesters. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum filed a complaint in federal court asking a judge for an injunction prohibiting federal officers from arresting anybody without a warrant or probable cause. The lawsuit was filed after videos surfaced showing heavily armed agents patrolling the streets in camouflage and taking protesters away in unmarked vehicles.

Protests in the city have been going on for over 50 days, and demonstrators show no signs of stopping. The protests are mostly peaceful during the day, but at night, some in the crowd have turned violent. They have clashed with the police who have responded with chemical weapons and non-lethal rounds.

Federal officials from the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have defended the actions of their officers, who were stationed in Portland to protect federal property from protesters.

"Violent anarchists have organized events in Portland over the last several weeks with willful intent to damage and destroy federal property, as well as injure federal officers and agents," CPB said in a statement. "These criminal actions will not be tolerated."

Local officials in Oregon said they have not requested help from the federal government and do not want federal agents conducting arrests or breaking up protests.

"This is not the America we want. This is not the Portland we want," Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said. "We're demanding that the President remove these additional troops that he sent to our city. It is not helping to contain or de-escalate the situation. It's obviously having exactly the opposite impact."

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