AP Photos

View Original

Facing federal agents Portland protests swell

Night after night for nearly two months, protesters have taken to the streets of Portland, Oregon, for demonstrations against racial injustice that have devolved into vandalism and clashes with authorities.

Long after such unrest subsided in other cities, small groups of protesters in Portland continued to set fires, spray graffiti on public buildings and battle officers.

The continued conflict prompted soul-searching in the progressive city, which became increasingly polarized over how to handle it.

More recently, the Trump administration’s decision to call in federal agents to help protect the federal courthouse — the focus of much protest activity — has galvanized many in Portland anew. Protests have again swelled and attracted a broader base in a city that’s increasingly unified and outraged about the use of federal officers.

The clashes have continued, with some protesters trying to break into the courthouse, while authorities respond with tear gas and projectiles.

But also prominent in the new crowds are groups like the Wall of Moms and PDX Dad Pod, self-described parents who have shown up by the hundreds each night since the weekend, wearing yellow T-shirts and bicycle helmets and ski goggles for protection.

Romeo Ceasar holds a sign during a Black Lives Matter protester on Monday, July 20, 2020, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A federal officer pushes back demonstrators at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse on Tuesday, July 21, 2020, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Federal agents use crowd control munitions to disperse Black Lives Matter protesters at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland, Ore. on Sunday, July 19, 2020. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A Black Lives Matter protester burns an American flag outside the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse on Monday, July 20, 2020, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Norma Lewis holds a flower while forming a "wall of moms" during a Black Lives Matter protest in Portland, Ore, on Monday, July 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A Black Lives Matter protester burns a sign outside the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse on Tuesday, July 21, 2020, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Federal agents use crowd control munitions to disperse Black Lives Matter protesters at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse on Monday, July 20, 2020, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Black Lives Matter protesters gather at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse on Tuesday, July 21, 2020, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

KaCe Freeman chants during a Black Lives Matter protest outside the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland, Ore. on, Monday, July 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Federal agents use crowd control munitions to disperse Black Lives Matter protesters near the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland, Ore. on Monday, July 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Federal officers disperse Black Lives Matter demonstrators at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse on Wednesday, July 22, 2020, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Hundreds of Black Lives Matter protesters hold their phones aloft on Monday, July 20, 2020, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Federal officers use crowd control munitions to disperse Black Lives Matter protesters outside the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland, Ore. on Tuesday, July 21, 2020. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A Black Lives Matter protester, who declined to give his name, rallies with others outside the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse on Sunday, July 19, 2020, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Federal officers use crowd control munitions to disperse Black Lives Matter protesters outside the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland, Ore., Tuesday, July 21, 2020. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A Black Lives Matter protester carries an American flag as teargas fills the air outside the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse on Tuesday, July 21, 2020, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)


Text from AP News story, AP Photos: Facing federal agents,, Portland protests swell

See this content in the original post