AWC CALLS FOR REMOVAL OF FEDS FROM PORTLAND, OTHER CITIES
AWC CALLS FOR REMOVAL OF FEDS FROM PORTLAND, OTHER CITIES
State repression and unaccountability reached a new level this week as silent federal agents in unmarked vans began arresting activists and bystanders in Portland, OR without identifying themselves or bringing any charges. A majority of those arrested are local activists who have been protesting police brutality since the murder of George Floyd.
Who are the federal agents? They refuse to identify themselves, but apparently they report to a hodgepodge network of agencies. Some come from the U.S. Marshals Special Operations Group, some from the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Protective Service, still more come from Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations, and also from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and its Border Patrol Tactical unit. A leaked DHS memo shows that these forces were put together as a consequence of Trump’s June 26 executive order, “Protecting American Monuments, Memorials, and Statues and Combating Recent Criminal Activity”. These agents are now occupying the city against the wishes of the people of Portland or their elected officials, the mayor, the state, or local municipalities.
Oregon Public Broadcasting reported that after invading at the beginning of July, the occupying forces have made a daily routine of firing tear gas and “less lethal” rounds into crowds – in one case fracturing the skull of 26-year-old protester Donavan LaBella, who is still in the hospital. They’ve done nightly sweeps in rented, unmarked vans and on foot; grabbed passers-by off their bikes; slammed people against the pavement; bashed in civilian car windows; and in one case they responded to a man’s medical seizure with forceful arrest. They’ve even arrested activists for using chalk on the sidewalk; destroyed the phones of those who record them; and fired tear gas in residential areas, including into people’s yards.
Authorities in the local police force have repeatedly lied about protesters and the damage they’ve done. What the Portland Police Department (PPD) originally reported as $23 million in damages turned out to be completely made up, with 90% of business losses coming from the lost revenue during COVID closures. The president and his appointed heads of CBP and DHS have labeled protesters as dangerous anarchists and “violent mobs”. They will say anything in order to justify and excuse their horrific, inhuman actions.
The Anti-War Committee stands with protesters and demands that any and all detained activists be immediately released with charges dropped. We also demand the removal of these unwanted federal agents from the city of Portland and any other cities to which they may be deployed. We unite with demands across the country for elected, civilian community control of who polices our streets and how.
End occupation at home and abroad!
#PortlandProtest #BlackLivesMatter #FreeThemAll #CommunityControlNOW