Federal troops helping suppress protests in Portland OR

[lpetrich]

Federal Law Enforcement Use Unmarked Vehicles To Grab Protesters Off Portland Streets . News | OPB

Federal law enforcement officers have been using unmarked vehicles to drive around downtown Portland and detain protesters since at least July 14. Personal accounts and multiple videos posted online show the officers driving up to people, detaining individuals with no explanation of why they are being arrested, and driving off.

The tactic appears to be another escalation in federal force deployed on Portland city streets, as federal officials and President Donald Trump have said they plan to “quell” nightly protests outside the federal courthouse and Multnomah County Justice Center that have lasted for more than six weeks.

Suzanne Bonamici on Twitter: "Grabbing peaceful protesters off the streets of Portland and putting them in unmarked cars to detain them is unconscionable and terrifying. It is not de-escalation, it is not the Oregon way, and it must stop. https://t.co/fg5tg9573h" / Twitter

Really American on Twitter: "Unidentifiable militarized agents are policing Portland, arresting people, and putting them in unmarked vehicles.
This should be a much bigger story. https://t.co/MZ4lNGJgm4" / Twitter

Jeet Heer on Twitter: "Mysterious, Badgeless federal officers rounding up citizens without reading them their rights and putting them in unmarked vans kind of puts the whole "cancel culture" thing into perspective." / Twitter
noting
Eleven Films on Twitter: "This is happening on the streets of our hometown of Portland, OR.
We will continue to resist. They are fucking with the wrong city
#TheResistance https://t.co/byOUkcp5iZ" / Twitter

Restore Morality on Twitter: "Portland is a test run for Trump’s plan for the rest of the country." / Twitter

Dan Rather on Twitter: "I hope, desperately hope, that this story is not what it appears to be. That there is some mistake. We need to know more, fast. But there is a chill up my spine with the recognition that this is plausible in our current America." / Twitter
noting
David Burbach on Twitter: "Oregon Public Broadcasting confirms tweets today that federal officers in camouflage but no agency identification or badges, driving unmarked non-government rental cars, are grabbing protestors off streets in Portland and not talking w local authorities https://t.co/sfY9TUkbDI" / Twitter

 

[lpetrich]

davey on Twitter: "Federal troops have literally invaded Portland. They are driving in unidentified vehicles and taking protestors. The mayor of Portland and the Governor have asked federal troops to leave the state. This is state sponsored terror. This is authoritarianism. https://t.co/HeqO5CiieQ" / Twitter

KATU News on Twitter: "BREAKING: Homeland Security head, Chad Wolf, is in Portland after saying the city is "under siege." (links)" / Twitter
then
Governor Kate Brown on Twitter: "This political theater from President Trump has nothing to do with public safety. The President is failing to lead this nation. Now he is deploying federal officers to patrol the streets of Portland in a blatant abuse of power by the federal government." / Twitter
then
Governor Kate Brown on Twitter: "I told Acting Secretary Wolf that the federal government should remove all federal officers from our streets. His response showed me he is on a mission to provoke confrontation for political purposes. He is putting both Oregonians and local law enforcement officers in harm’s way." / Twitter
then
Governor Kate Brown on Twitter: "This, coming from the same President who used tear gas to clear out peaceful protesters in Washington, DC to engineer a photo opportunity.
Trump is looking for a confrontation in Oregon in the hopes of winning political points in Ohio or Iowa." / Twitter

Whatever is going on in Portland, it can't be good.

What are *Federal* troops doing there? This seems like a violation of the Posse Comitatus Act.

 

[repoman]

Socialist inside man as DA

https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/1283937575066120193

 

[Harry Bosch]

Federal Law Enforcement Use Unmarked Vehicles To Grab Protesters Off Portland Streets . News | OPB

Federal law enforcement officers have been using unmarked vehicles to drive around downtown Portland and detain protesters since at least July 14. Personal accounts and multiple videos posted online show the officers driving up to people, detaining individuals with no explanation of why they are being arrested, and driving off.

The tactic appears to be another escalation in federal force deployed on Portland city streets, as federal officials and President Donald Trump have said they plan to “quell” nightly protests outside the federal courthouse and Multnomah County Justice Center that have lasted for more than six weeks.

Suzanne Bonamici on Twitter: "Grabbing peaceful protesters off the streets of Portland and putting them in unmarked cars to detain them is unconscionable and terrifying. It is not de-escalation, it is not the Oregon way, and it must stop. https://t.co/fg5tg9573h" / Twitter

Really American ???????????? on Twitter: "Unidentifiable militarized agents are policing Portland, arresting people, and putting them in unmarked vehicles.
This should be a much bigger story. https://t.co/MZ4lNGJgm4" / Twitter

Jeet Heer on Twitter: "Mysterious, Badgeless federal officers rounding up citizens without reading them their rights and putting them in unmarked vans kind of puts the whole "cancel culture" thing into perspective." / Twitter
noting
Eleven Films on Twitter: "This is happening on the streets of our hometown of Portland, OR.
We will continue to resist. They are fucking with the wrong city ??????
#TheResistance https://t.co/byOUkcp5iZ" / Twitter

Restore Morality on Twitter: "Portland is a test run for Trump’s plan for the rest of the country." / Twitter

Dan Rather on Twitter: "I hope, desperately hope, that this story is not what it appears to be. That there is some mistake. We need to know more, fast. But there is a chill up my spine with the recognition that this is plausible in our current America." / Twitter
noting
David Burbach on Twitter: "Oregon Public Broadcasting confirms tweets today that federal officers in camouflage but no agency identification or badges, driving unmarked non-government rental cars, are grabbing protestors off streets in Portland and not talking w local authorities https://t.co/sfY9TUkbDI" / Twitter

It's sad. The protests are actually starting to lose steam. But Trump will stir it up further by sending in the feds. Gov Brown is 10 times the leader that Trump ever was.

 

[lpetrich]

Amee Vanderpool on Twitter: "He did not know whether the men were police or Erik Prince's far-right extremists, who frequently don military like outfits and harass left-leaning protesters in Portland, OR: “It seemed like it was out of a horror/sci-fi..It was like being preyed upon.” https://t.co/d0H34wgfgn" / Twitter
noting
Federal agents arrest Portland protesters in unmarked cars, sparking intense backlash - The Washington Post

The article starts with the arrest and quick release of Mark Pettibone -- he wasn't even charged with anything.

“Arrests require probable cause that a federal crime had been committed, that is, specific information indicating that the person likely committed a federal offense, or a fair probability that the person committed a federal offense,” Orin Kerr, a professor at University of California at Berkeley Law School, told The Post. “If the agents are grabbing people because they may have been involved in protests, that’s not probable cause.”

Federal officers from the U.S. Marshals Service and Department of Homeland Security have stormed Portland’s streets as part of President Trump’s promised strong response to ongoing protests. Local leaders expressed alarm at news of Pettibone’s detention and echoed calls for the feds to leave that have grown stronger since Marshals Service officers severely wounded a peaceful protester on Saturday.
...

Civil rights advocates suggested the Trump administration is testing the limits of its executive power.

I wouldn't be surprised, though that seems to require more planning that what Trump seems capable of. Trump has a long history of assholish behavior, so it might simply be that he can't help himself.

After Trump sent federal officers to the city, allegedly to quell violence, tensions escalated. The feds have repeatedly deployed tear gas to scuttle protests, despite a newly passed state law that bans local police from using the chemical irritant except to quash riots. On Saturday, federal agents shot a man in the face with a less-than-lethal munition, fracturing his skull. Local officials, from the mayor to the governor, have asked the president to pull the federal officers out of the city.

...
Trump has cheered harsh tactics by officers in Portland, and the acting Homeland Security secretary has vowed to keep federal forces in Portland until local leaders “publicly condemn what the violent anarchists are doing.”

...
“Once you’re out on the street and you’ve been tear-gassed and you see that there’s no reason — the police will claim that there’s a riot just so they can use tear gas — it makes you want to go out there even more to see if there can be any kind of justice,” Pettibone told The Post.

 

[Elixir]

What are *Federal* troops doing there? This seems like a violation of the Posse Comitatus Act.

Yeah. So what? It's not like the Trump Crime Family's thugs have to follow laws.

 

[lpetrich]

Malcolm Nance on Twitter: "Trump accused of deploying "secret police" in Portland as political stunt https://t.co/uHoWHhVsoU" / Twitter
noting
Trump Accused of Deploying 'Secret Police' in Portland as Political Stunt

Political leaders in Oregon have accused President Donald Trump of interfering in Portland's handling of widespread protests and riots in the wake of George Floyd's death as a political stunt to rally his base ahead of the November election.

Despite repeated calls from Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler for federal authorities to remove their officers from the city's streets, the Trump administration has remained adamant on maintaining a law enforcement presence in Portland.

In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday, Homeland Security Acting Secretary Chad Wolf acknowledged that local and state officials wanted federal authorities to "pack up and go home."

However, he said: "That's just not gonna happen on my watch." Instead, he said federal law enforcement, including officers and agents from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection agencies, would continue to patrol the streets of Portland.

Senator Jeff Merkley on Twitter: "Federal forces shot an unarmed protester in the face. These shadowy forces have been escalating, not preventing, violence. If @DHS_Wolf is coming here to inflame the situation so @realDonaldTrump can look like a tough guy, he should turn around and leave our city now." / Twitter

 

[steve_bank]

From what is being reported in the local media Portland is out of control.

The Portland mayor, like our mayor, refuses to put an end to it out of fear of being labeled politically incorrect.

Trump said about the clash between protestors a few years back 'there are good people on both sides'. and rightly god criticized for saying Neo Nazis are 'good people'.

In Seattle the mayor said day after despite wahton destructin, looting, and murder along with rape in the autonomous zone there were good people in the protest and it was not their fault. Let the situaiongo on because there were some good people making a pont.

Yesterday there was a roving group wandering through my neighborhood shouting and ranting.

Democratic mayors are frozen by ideology.

 

[SLD]

Trump Ordering Feds to Round up Protesters

Several news outlets are reporting that strange camo dressed federal officers are pulling people off the street who are just peaceful protesters. They are being detained and later released.

Is this the Pinocheting of America?


https://www.washingtonpost.com/opin...ZC1VZJU9duH_ATXzAGxjvQeYBVL08XgZs6Cex9tRphec8

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a33347230/portland-oregon-protesters-detained/

Seriously. What the fuck is going on? Is this a dress rehearsal for what we can expect the Trump Administration to do if it loses the election?

 

[Trausti]

Yeah. If the local yahoos won't restore order, it's left to the feds. Get 'em.

 

[Cheerful Charlie]

Oh noes! It's Operation Jade! Just like the bad old days in Communist USSR and East Germany!

 

[Politesse]

From what is being reported in the local media Portland is out of control.

The Portland mayor, like our mayor, refuses to put an end to it out of fear of being labeled politically incorrect.

Trump said about the clash between protestors a few years back 'there are good people on both sides'. and rightly god criticized for saying Neo Nazis are 'good people'.

In Seattle the mayor said day after despite wahton destructin, looting, and murder along with rape in the autonomous zone there were good people in the protest and it was not their fault. Let the situaiongo on because there were some good people making a pont.

Yesterday there was a roving group wandering through my neighborhood shouting and ranting.

Democratic mayors are frozen by ideology.

And secret police disappearing people into unmarked vans is your idea of "in control"?

Trump is trying to start a race war. If you want peace to be restored, he is not your friend.

 

[Testy Calibrate]

davey on Twitter: "Federal troops have literally invaded Portland. They are driving in unidentified vehicles and taking protestors. The mayor of Portland and the Governor have asked federal troops to leave the state. This is state sponsored terror. This is authoritarianism. https://t.co/HeqO5CiieQ" / Twitter

KATU News on Twitter: "BREAKING: Homeland Security head, Chad Wolf, is in Portland after saying the city is "under siege." (links)" / Twitter
then
Governor Kate Brown on Twitter: "This political theater from President Trump has nothing to do with public safety. The President is failing to lead this nation. Now he is deploying federal officers to patrol the streets of Portland in a blatant abuse of power by the federal government." / Twitter
then
Governor Kate Brown on Twitter: "I told Acting Secretary Wolf that the federal government should remove all federal officers from our streets. His response showed me he is on a mission to provoke confrontation for political purposes. He is putting both Oregonians and local law enforcement officers in harm’s way." / Twitter
then
Governor Kate Brown on Twitter: "This, coming from the same President who used tear gas to clear out peaceful protesters in Washington, DC to engineer a photo opportunity.
Trump is looking for a confrontation in Oregon in the hopes of winning political points in Ohio or Iowa." / Twitter

Whatever is going on in Portland, it can't be good.

What are *Federal* troops doing there? This seems like a violation of the Posse Comitatus Act.

It is exceedingly likely to backfire. While there certainly are protests downtown, there is only danger from police. All of us here are acutely aware of this. I have been downtown 3 of the past 5 days for a variety of reasons and always make a point of visiting the protests. These are students, teachers, plumbers, nurses, bankers, unemployed, employed, rich, poor, middle class, a broad cross section of our population, and we are aware of the problem and demanding a political solution. Accountability for cops will come or lots of us will die because fuck you you sons of bitches.

 

[Harry Bosch]

Yeah. If the local yahoos won't restore order, it's left to the feds. Get 'em.

It is so fucking ironic! Trump wants to take strong leadership to tackle the Portland Protestor Meanies! But he's too scared and weak to tackle a national problem: COVID-19! I can tell you everyone that I'm living in Portland right now. Right down town. We haven't sent away our kids to the safe suburbs like what the British did prior to the battle of Britain! Sorry if anyone misses this metaphor. But we're not scared of the protestors in the least. But covid is killing thousands of Americans and threatening our economy to the core. And what the hell is the federal government doing? Hardly anything.

The Portland Protestor Meanies are causing a minor local problem that is being solved by local Oregonians. COVID is a national problem that is being fought by local governments because Trump is so bad. Anyone see a problem here?????

 

[funinspace]

From what is being reported in the local media Portland is out of control.

The Portland mayor, like our mayor, refuses to put an end to it out of fear of being labeled politically incorrect.

Trump said about the clash between protestors a few years back 'there are good people on both sides'. and rightly god criticized for saying Neo Nazis are 'good people'.

In Seattle the mayor said day after despite wahton destructin, looting, and murder along with rape in the autonomous zone there were good people in the protest and it was not their fault. Let the situaiongo on because there were some good people making a pont.

Yesterday there was a roving group wandering through my neighborhood shouting and ranting.

Democratic mayors are frozen by ideology.

Well, living a literal 13 miles from downtown Portland, I'd say your impression from the 'local media' is not very good regarding Portland. Sure there is a troublesome few blocks, but Portland is as ok as it always was, albeit with Covid-19 impact...

 

[Treedbear]

What are *Federal* troops doing there? This seems like a violation of the Posse Comitatus Act.

Yeah. So what? It's not like the Trump Crime Family's thugs have to follow laws.

The Insurrection Act of 1807 is a United States federal law ... that empowers the President of the United States to deploy U.S. military and federalized National Guard troops within the United States in particular circumstances, such as to suppress civil disorder, insurrection and rebellion.

The act provides a "statutory exception" to the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, which limits the use of military personnel under federal command for law enforcement purposes within the United States.
...
A provision of the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007, added by an unidentified sponsor, amended the Insurrection act to permit military intervention without state consent, in case of an emergency that hindered the enforcement of laws. Bush signed this amendment into law, but some months after it was enacted, all fifty state governors issued a joint statement against it, and the changes were repealed in January 2008.

On June 1, 2020, President Donald Trump warned that he would invoke the Act in response to the violent demonstrations following the death of George Floyd. In his official June 1 statement, President Trump urged "every governor to deploy the National Guard in sufficient numbers" to re-establish civil law and order "until the violence has been quelled"; however, military forces were never deployed.

So it seems somewhat ambiguous to me. But I'm sure Bill Barr has an opinion written and ready to go. But it flies in the face of states rights conservatives.

 

[steve_bank]

I listened to KUOW public radio talking to someone on the scene. It was not suppression of the protestors. That being said it was clearly a ploical move by Trump as a talking point for hs campaign. Democratic ciyes are falling apart and so on.

The OP as presented is the flip side of FOX News. Biased and intended to sway opinion on the left instead of the right.

I lived in Portland in the 80s out near the stdium.

I am walking distance to groud zero in Seattle. For a few days I coild not get to the supermarket because public trasit was blocked.

In the news this morning a group of protetors last night gatherd outside a council member's home because he effused to support the 50% police cut. He felt threatened. This 3rd world politics is where Seattle seems to be headed in some ways.

There was a demonstration weeks back a half bloke from building. I walked down and listend to the mayot address the crowd.

There were two white hecklers ranting Antifa rhetoric trying to disrupt.

In the first days of the protest we sat on the roof deck and watched a line of protestors marching down 5th Ave to Japan Town. We could hear the ranting and shouting. Next day I walk down and saw the damage. Volunteers cleaning up. Protestors over balck rights damhing minority Asian business, irony and hypocrisy.

It is mob rule. I am not 13 miles away, I am in the middle of it as are many. Our mayor refused to enforce order until there were deaths and rising complaints of businesses and residents who were damaged and threatened.

In Seattle and Portland the left appears to be saying people have a right to protest therefore we can not stop the violence, it will interfere with protestors. Pretty much what our governor was saying.

Regardless of the history of black oppressions and police abuse of power, whiteout law and order there are no civil rights, only mob and vigilante justice. As was the case in the so called autonomous zone.

 

[ideologyhunter]

I think it's Verizon. When you protest enough, you forget to pay your bill.

 

[Elixir]

Several news outlets are reporting that strange camo dressed federal officers are pulling people off the street who are just peaceful protesters. They are being detained and later released.

Is this the Pinocheting of America?

Sure looks like it.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opin...ZC1VZJU9duH_ATXzAGxjvQeYBVL08XgZs6Cex9tRphec8

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a33347230/portland-oregon-protesters-detained/

Seriously. What the fuck is going on? Is this a dress rehearsal for what we can expect the Trump Administration to do if it loses the election?

I think it's more a preview of America under another Trump term. Angelo must be thrilled.

 

[Cheerful Charlie]

It seems like only a few months ago the wing nuts were braying about the evils of Jade Helm. Well, here it is dumb asses. If Trump et al can do this now, any future president can do what ever they wish likewise.