Today's News (2020/7/19): Fascism edition
Jul. 19th, 2020 09:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
solarbirdBeen a bad week. Psychologically, too.
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The Sparrow Project
twitter.com/sparrowmedia
15 July 2020
https://twitter.com/sparrowmedia/status/1283436911307218948
[THREAD]
Militarized Federal Agents from a patchwork of outside agencies have begun policing Portland (in rented minivans vans) without the explicit approval of the mayor, the state, or local municipalities. This is what that looks like in practice:
[EMBEDDED VIDEO: Two men in military field garb cross a street in a crosswalk, refuse to identify themselves or speak, grab a protester in black who in this video has committed no action of any kind, and haul him away to an unmarked dark grey minivan. They shove him into the van and drive off. Throughout, the videographer demands they identify themselves and explain what they are doing. She is ignored.]
[THREAD CONTINUES AT UPPER LINK]
[EDITOR: Downthread includes additional video of similarly-garbed men in similar vans detaining people without explanation or comment.]
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Who are these federal officers sent to Portland to deal with protesters?
Interviews and court records help answer questions about the federal officers deployed to Portland.
July 13, 2020
https://www.kgw.com/article/news/investigations/who-are-these-federal-officers-sent-to-portland-to-deal-with-protesters/283-b2c3b375-cd6a-4e8a-b2c3-25cbbb911335
PORTLAND, Ore. — President Trump claimed federal agents deployed to Portland have arrested protesters and calmed the chaos.
“We’ve done a great job in Portland," Trump said on Monday. “Portland was totally out of control, and they went in, and I guess we have many people right now in jail. We very much quelled it, and if it starts again, we'll quell it again very easily. It's not hard to do, if you know what you're doing."
The president’s remarks, following a weekend incident in which a federal agent shot a Portland protester in the head with a less-than-lethal munition, has raised several questions about federal law enforcement.
Who are these federal officers?
Four federal law enforcement agencies including U.S. Marshals, Federal Protective Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations have rotated officers through Portland since early July. The U.S. Marshals Service is the lead agency. It’s not clear how many federal officers are currently in Portland to help with protests. In addition to uniformed law enforcement, court records indicate plain-clothed federal agents have also been working the crowd.
What are they protecting?
Federal officers are protecting federal property and personnel in downtown Portland including the Mark. O Hatfield federal courthouse, Pioneer Courthouse, the Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building and Terry Schrunk Plaza. Local federal officers don’t have enough people to secure all federal buildings.
“We needed some assistance and got that assistance,” said Billy Williams, U.S. Attorney for Oregon.
Prosecutors said there’s already been more than $50,000 in damage to the federal courthouse.
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USA Today: Navarro’s anti-Fauci column didn’t meet standards
By DAVID BAUDER
15 July 2020
https://apnews.com/ee6e3f37dad5fab530f8f7e6f89c90e8
NEW YORK (AP) — USA Today says that a column that the newspaper solicited and published from presidential trade adviser Peter Navarro criticizing Dr. Anthony Fauci was misleading and did not meet fact-checking standards.
The newspaper explained the decision in a note by Bill Sternberg, editorial page editor, attached to the column online. Navarro’s column originally moved online late Tuesday and was published in Wednesday’s newspaper.
Navarro wrote that Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, “has been wrong about everything I interacted with him on.”
The newspaper on Wednesday evening also ran a fact-check story by Washington reporter Ledyard King examining five of Navarro’s claims.
It wasn’t clear how Navarro’s column escaped such scrutiny before being published. Sternberg said in an email that he’s letting his editorial note speak for itself. The incident is reminiscent of The New York Times saying last month that an opinion column by U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton hadn’t been properly vetted, which led to the resignation of the paper’s opinion editor.
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Federal Law Enforcement Use Unmarked Vehicles To Grab Protesters Off Portland Streets
by Jonathan Levinson Follow and Conrad Wilson
July 16, 2020
https://www.opb.org/news/article/federal-law-enforcement-unmarked-vehicles-portland-protesters/
UPDATE (7:46 p.m. PT) — In the early hours of July 15, after a night spent protesting at the Multnomah County Justice Center and Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse, Mark Pettibone and his friend Conner O’Shea decided to head home.
It had been a calm night compared to most protesting downtown. By 2 a.m. law enforcement hadn’t used any tear gas and, with only a few exceptions, both the Portland Police Bureau and federal law enforcement officers had stayed out of sight.
A block west of Chapman Square, Pettibone and O’Shea bumped into a group of people who warned them that people in camouflage were driving around the area in unmarked minivans grabbing people off the street.
“So that was terrifying to hear,” Pettibone said.
They had barely made it half a block when an unmarked minivan pulled up in front of them.
“I see guys in camo,” O’Shea said. “Four or five of them pop out, open the door and it was just like, ‘Oh shit. I don’t know who you are or what you want with us.’”
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.
...
Officers from the U.S. Marshals Special Operations Group and Customs and Border Protection’s BORTAC, have been sent to Portland to protect federal property during the recent protests against racism and police brutality.
But interviews conducted by OPB show officers are also detaining people on Portland streets who aren’t near federal property, nor is it clear that all of the people being arrested have engaged in criminal activity. Demonstrators like O’Shea and Pettibone said they think they were targeted by federal officers for simply wearing black clothing in the area of the demonstration.
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Sebastian Gorka Argues For Superiority Of “Whiteness”
July 17, 2020
Racism, Trump cultists
https://www.joemygod.com/2020/07/sebastian-gorka-argues-for-superiority-of-whiteness/
“What has whiteness brought us? What has western civilization brought us? When you look at the western civilization, when you look at representative democracy, you look at rule of law, you look at equality before the law, you look at equality of the sexes.
“Or, we could go to the African subcontinent and have female genital mutilation be a part of their local culture, or we could have slave markets in Libya. Maybe we should follow the slave markets of Libya, as opposed to the inherent whiteness of our civilization.
“If whiteness is bad, then what do we replace it with? If we have to replace it with, I don’t know, blackness or yellowness, what does that mean? Does it mean that some cultures are better than others? Oops — I thought we weren’t allowed to say that.” – Sebastian Gorka, on his radio show.
Earlier this week Trump announced his intention to appoint Gorka to a four year term on the National Security Education Board.
[EMBEDDED VIDEO AT LINK]
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Derek Cressman
twitter.com/DerekCressman
17 July 2020
https://twitter.com/DerekCressman/status/1284127384053022725
So, federal Homeland Security admits Portland officials asked them to leave and instead they responded with a hostile military occupation.
[QUOTED TWEET]
Acting Secretary Chad Wolf
twitter.com/DHS_Wolf
17 July 2020
https://twitter.com/DHS_Wolf/status/1284081029683257344
“I offereddhsgov support to help locally address the situation that’s going on in Portland, and their only response was: please pack up and go home. That’s just not going to happen on my watch.”
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The Authoritarian Operation in Portland Is Only a Dress Rehearsal
A major American city is being softly Pinochet’ed in broad daylight.
By Charles P. Pierce
Jul 17, 2020
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a33347230/portland-oregon-protesters-detained/
Pardon me for being this uncivil this early in the morning but, seriously, what in the FCK is this shit? From Oregon Public Broadcasting:
LEO’s in camo? Unmarked vehicles? Disappearing people off the street without charge? Detention in something far too close to a police black site? (Ask some folks in Chicago how those work out.) I always knew I missed something not growing up in Santiago.
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Joshua Potash
twitter.com/JoshuaPotash
18 July 2020
https://twitter.com/JoshuaPotash/status/1284704272282800128
[THREAD]
Incredible scene in Portland right now. A group of Moms are chanting, “Feds stay clear! Moms are here!” at the federal courthouse.
[EMBEDDED VIDEO FROM
Lindsey Smith (she/her)
twitter.com/LindseyPSmith7
]
[NEXT]
Joshua Potash
twitter.com/JoshuaPotash
https://twitter.com/JoshuaPotash/status/1284705340060246016
Footage is from twitter.com/LindseyPSmith7 who I highly recommend following if you want to see what’s happening at the Portland protests. She has great threads like this almost every night.
[QUOTED TWEET]
Lindsey Smith (she/her)
twitter.com/LindseyPSmith7
18 July 2020
https://twitter.com/LindseyPSmith7/status/1284699091323109377
This group, who says they’re moms against police brutality, is making a human barricade at 3rd & Main.
[EMBEDDED IMAGE AT LINK]
Lindsey Smith (she/her)
twitter.com/LindseyPSmith7
18 July 2020
https://twitter.com/LindseyPSmith7/status/1284709436284534786
The moms are facing the federal courthouse, and the crowd is behind them. The Justice Center, which PPB (and sometimes MCSO) attack from, is also behind them.
[EMBEDDED VIDEO AT LINK]
[THREADS CONTINUE AT LINKS]
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'This could happen in your city': Portland mayor issues stark warning over Trump admin's use of federal troops to quell protests
Local lawmakers accuse Trump of authoritarianism for deployment of unidentified federal agents
Richard Hall
New York
19 July 2020
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-portland-protests-federal-agents-a9626996.html
Portland’s mayor has called the Trump administration’s use of federal agents to quell protests there “a direct threat to democracy” which could be replicated in other cities across the country.
Local lawmakers and national Democratic leaders have called for the removal of the masked, militarised federal agents from the city, following their deployment ostensibly to protect federal buildings.
Those agents have been accused of driving unmarked cars and seizing people from the street in recent days in the city, which has seen nightly protests for racial justice since the police killing of George Floyd.
“Their presence here is actually leading to more violence and more vandalism. And it's not helping the situation at all. They're not wanted here,” mayor Ted Wheeler said on Sunday. “The tactics that the Trump administration are using on the streets of Portland are abhorrent,” he added.
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Portland mayor: Presence of federal troops is escalating violence
19 Jul 2020
CNN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZvEsOoRWJ4
Mayor Ted Wheeler of Portland, Oregon, speaks to CNN's Jake Tapper about what he says are the unconstitutional actions of federal troops in his city.
[VIDEO AT LINK]
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US protests: Oregon takes legal action against federal agents
The state's top prosecutor has sued federal agencies for 'unlawful law enforcement' amid continued protests in Portland.
19 July 2020
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/07/protests-oregon-takes-legal-action-federal-agents-200719145021335.html
Portland protesters have taken to the streets for the 52nd night amid growing condemnation of federal agency forces deployed to the city and the law enforcement tactics they have used.
The most recent night of unrest on Saturday came shortly after the state's attorney general, Ellen Rosenblum, announced she had filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), US Marshals Service, US Customs and Border Protection and the Federal Protection Service saying their tactics infringe upon the civil rights of protesters in the state.
Officers from those agencies had been sent to Portland in recent weeks in what the administration of President Donald Trump has characterised as an attempt to restore order following weeks of unrest after the death in police custody of George Floyd in Minnesota on May 25.
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Trump refuses to commit to election results if he loses
Aamer Madhani, Colleen Long and Will Weissert, Associated Press Updated 10:41 am PDT, Sunday, July 19, 2020
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Trump-not-ready-to-commit-to-election-results-if-15418681.php
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is refusing to publicly commit to accepting the results of the upcoming White House election, recalling a similar threat he made weeks before the 2016 vote, as he scoffs at polls showing him lagging behind Democrat Joe Biden. Trump says it's too early to make such an ironclad guarantee.
“I have to see. Look ... I have to see,” Trump told moderator Chris Wallace during a wide-ranging interview on ”Fox News Sunday." “No, I’m not going to just say yes. I’m not going to say no, and I didn’t last time either.” The Biden campaign responded: "The American people will decide this election. And the United States government is perfectly capable of escorting trespassers out of the White House.”
Trump also hammered the Pentagon brass for favoring renaming bases that honor Confederate military leaders — a drive for change spurred by the national debate about race after George Floyd's death. “I don’t care what the military says,” the commander in chief said.
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Rudy Giuliani: Black Lives Matter is going to take away “your property” and give it to Black people
Guiliani: “They’ll also get to choose property that they want, and that’s the reparations for slavery. Except it’ll include Black people that came from the Caribbean”
Written by Media Matters Staff
Published 07/15/20
https://www.mediamatters.org/rudy-giuliani/rudy-giuliani-black-lives-matter-going-take-away-your-property-and-give-it-black
RUDY GIULIANI (HOST): This is not - please, understand this - this is not isolated. This is not spontaneous. This is planned. This is planned by Black Lives Matter, it's funded by Soros to the tune of $30 to $40 million. And the plan is to change your government. To take it away from you. To take away from you a government based on free enterprise. To take away from you your Second Amendment right to bear arms. To take away from you, really, your right to have a religion. Soros is a notorious atheist. Proclaims the fact that he's an atheist. So are Marxists, by the way. It's one of the cores of Marxism, atheism.
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DHS Under Boss: We’re Taking This National
By Josh Marshall
July 18, 2020
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/dhs-under-boss-were-taking-this-national
When asked about calls for an investigation into DHS police tactics in Portland, Oregon, Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Ken Cuccinelli tells NPR not only are they not going to stop but they want to take the tactics nationwide.
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Oregon Attorney General Sues to Stop Federal Arrests of Portland Protesters
“Every American should be repulsed when they see this happening. If this can happen here in Portland, it can happen anywhere.”
By Aaron Mesh
Published July 17 at 9:42 PM Updated July 18 at 1:23 PM
https://www.wweek.com/news/courts/2020/07/17/oregon-attorney-general-sues-to-stop-federal-arrests-of-portland-protesters/
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum will file a lawsuit in federal court tonight seeking a temporary restraining order barring the Department of Homeland Security and other federal law enforcement agencies from seizing and detaining Portland protesters without probable cause.
Her announcement follows a July 16 report by Oregon Public Broadcasting that federal officers whisked away protesters in unmarked vans—rental vehicles, it now appears.
She also announced that the Oregon Department of Justice and the Multnomah County district attorney would open a criminal investigation into the July 11 injury of Donavan LaBella, whom a U.S. Marshals Service officer shot in the face with a munition.
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Josh Marshall
twitter.com/joshtpm
18 July 2020
https://twitter.com/joshtpm/status/1284697128841940992
[THREAD]
I think now we know why acting DHS boss twitter.com/DHS_Wolf changed his avatar to this pic a couple days ago. Ready to do some kinetic campaign work for the paramount leader with full hardware and maximum fluffing.
[EDITOR: EMBEDDED IMAGE of Chad Wolf in aviator glasses and headset. He's never been in the military.]
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Christen McCurdy
twitter.com/CMcCurdyPDX
19 July 2020
https://twitter.com/CMcCurdyPDX/status/1284977542839975942
Multnomah County commissioner and ER doctor:
[QUOTED TWEET]
Sharon Meieran
twitter.com/SMeieran
19 July 2020
https://twitter.com/SMeieran/status/1284968427338121216
Last night I was teargassed by a federal occupying force I SAW throw canisters of poison, without warning, into a nonviolent crowd, including elders, the vulnerable. We can’t wait for Nov to drive secret police from Pdx! Democracy is slipping away in front of our tear-gassed eyes
[EMBEDDED IMAGES AT LINK]
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Portland protests: Federal agents 'abuse power' in arrests
18 July 2020
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53453077
Oregon Governor Kate Brown has accused US federal agents in unmarked cars who apparently detained protesters in Portland of a "blatant abuse of power".
Federal officers, deployed by President Donald Trump, have also fired tear gas and less-lethal munitions into crowds of demonstrators.
Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf called the protesters a "violent mob".
Activists have been protesting against police brutality since George Floyd's killing in police custody on 25 May.
On Friday evening local time, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said that the state justice department was filing a lawsuit against the federal government over the detention of protesters "without probable cause".
"These tactics must stop," Ms Rosenblum said in a statement. "They not only make it impossible for people to assert their First Amendment rights to protest peacefully, they also create a more volatile situation on our streets."
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Trump’s agents are sweeping peaceful citizens off the streets. This is not America.
Opinion by Ruth Marcus
Deputy editorial page editor
July 17, 2020 at 10:19 a.m. PDT
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/07/17/whats-happening-portland-shows-trump-is-ignoring-constitution-attacking-america/
“Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech … or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Something terrible, something dangerous — and, yes, something unconstitutional — is happening in Portland, Ore. It must be stopped.
“Federal law enforcement officers have been using unmarked vehicles to drive around downtown Portland and detain protesters since at least July 14,” reports Oregon Public Broadcasting. “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 report continues: “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.”
Of course, authorities — and we’ll get to the matter of what authorities in a bit — have the power to prevent violence. But that doesn’t seem to be what’s happening in Portland, where nightly protests have been taking place since early June. Law enforcement agents aren’t targeting protesters who engaged in violence; they appear to be sweeping up random people who have exercised their rights under the First Amendment.
Like Mark Pettibone, 29, who was heading home in the early hours of Wednesday morning when, according to The Post’s Katie Shepherd, “several men in green military fatigues and generic ‘police’ patches sprang out of an unmarked gray minivan.” Pettibone was detained, searched, driven to the federal courthouse, placed in a holding cell and read his Miranda rights against self-incrimination. He declined to waive them. And then, about 90 minutes later, he was released.
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Jenn Budd
twitter.com/BuddJenn
12 February 2020
https://twitter.com/BuddJenn/status/1227623752583667713
[EDITOR: I have run this before. I am running it again now, because it is exceedingly relevant.]
THREAD: I recently spent some time talking privately with a former Washington DC CBP senior management official. This is what stuck with me: Border Patrol does not believe they are a civilian law enforcement agency. They believe they are kin to the Marine Corps.
[NEXT]
2) They do not believe they are accountable to Congress, which is why they have no issues lying to them even while under oath. They believe they are only accountable to the President and even then, only to presidents like Trump.
[NEXT]
3) Border Patrol believes it is not required to answer to local police, FBI, CIA or any other law enforcement agency. They claim to be to “premiere” law enforcement agency, superior to all others. They say they will become a “national police force.” To be used by a president
[NEXT]
4) to enforce laws even among citizens. They know their forces are larger than is necessary, that is why they created this fake crisis. They know they have more gear than they need, that is why they stress emergency response, so they can get more.
[NEXT]
5) And I am telling you, this comes from as high as you can get. This is why they have amassed such a force. Bookmark this.
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The Border Patrol Was Responsible for an Arrest in Portland
An internal memo, obtained exclusively by The Nation, details a coordinated program of domestic counterinsurgency.
By Ken KlippensteinTwitter
July 17, 2020
https://www.thenation.com/article/society/border-patrol-portland-arrest/
For days, federal agents in unmarked cars have reportedly been snatching Portland protesters off the streets. On Thursday, video emerged of federal agents clad in camouflage fatigues and unspecified “police” patches apprehending one such demonstrator and placing him in an unmarked vehicle. Social media lit up with speculation about the intentions—and the identity—of these agents. A memo consisting of internal talking points for the federal agency responsible for the arrest, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and obtained exclusively by The Nation provides some answers—and raises even more questions.
Dated July 1, the memo is titled “Public Affairs Guidance: CBP Support to Protect Federal Facilities and Property” and marked “For Official Use Only.” It describes a special task force created by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in response to President Trump’s Executive Order on Protecting American Monuments, Memorials, and Statues and Combating Recent Criminal Violence. That task force, the Protecting American Communities Task Force (PACT), has been tasked not only to assess civil unrest but also to “surge” resources to protect against it.
The Portland arrest of Mark Pettibone, first reported by Oregon Public Broadcasting, followed several similar arrests involving officers from a Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC)—CBP’s equivalent of a SWAT team—as well as the US Marshals Special Operations Group. A CBP spokesman confirmed to The Nation that CBP agents were responsible for the arrest, pointing to authorities under the Protecting American Communities Task Force.
“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,” said the CBP spokesman. “These criminal actions will not be tolerated.”
The talking points memo identifies a series of potential questions, including many of those being asked in response to the Portland arrests. In several cases, it instructs CBP officials not to answer them, citing “operational security.” For example, in response to questions about where CBP personnel are being deployed, the memo says “it would not be appropriate to disclose law enforcement operational specifics which could jeopardize operational security.” As for questions about when CBP personnel will be deployed and for how long, the memo states, “We do not give out operational specifics, however we hope this support will be short-term, just for the July 4th weekend.” The CBP spokesman, however, did not give any indication the operation would be coming to an end. “The Department of Homeland Security [DHS] and its components will continue to work tirelessly to reestablish law and order,” he said.
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Oregon Gov. Kate Brown Says President Trump Is Invading Portland as an Election Stunt
Her comments come in the same hour that acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf landed in Portland.
By Aaron Mesh
Published July 16 at 2:39 PM Updated July 16 at 4:27 PM
https://www.wweek.com/news/2020/07/16/oregon-gov-kate-brown-says-president-trump-is-invading-portland-as-an-election-stunt/
As top federal law enforcement officials arrived in Oregon on Thursday, Gov. Kate Brown accused President Donald Trump of deploying federal officers to Portland to crack down on protesters as a way to boost his flailing reelection prospects.
In an uncharacteristically harsh statement, Brown responded to Trump's deployment of federal officers to quell Portland's protests against police violence. Those officers sent one demonstrator to the hospital July 11 with a munition to the face.
"This political theater from President Trump has nothing to do with public safety," Brown said. "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."
Her comments come in the same hour that acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf landed in Portland, according to KOIN News 6. This morning, Wolf refused a request from Mayor Ted Wheeler to withdraw his officers from Portland.
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U.S. officials dismiss Portland leaders’ calls to leave city
July 19, 2020 at 5:36 pm Updated July 19, 2020 at 6:34 pm
By Maria Sacchetti
and Marissa J. Lang
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/u-s-officials-dismiss-portland-leaders-calls-to-leave-city/
PORTLAND – A top Homeland Security Department official on Sunday vowed that the agency will maintain a heavy presence in Portland — and send reinforcements to other U.S. cities, if violence surged — as the mayor of Oregon’s largest city implored federal agents to stand down amid escalating clashes with protesters.
Ken Cuccinelli, acting deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), said the agency had deployed tactical units from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to help defend federal buildings and officers. He said the DHS also expanded its numbers in other cities as demonstrations had escalated in recent months.
- Militarized Federal Agents from a patchwork of outside agencies have begun policing Portland
- Who are these federal officers sent to Portland to deal with protesters?
- USA Today: Navarro’s anti-Fauci column didn’t meet standards [EDITOR: THEN WHY PUBLISH IT?! and yet.]
- Federal Law Enforcement Use Unmarked Vehicles To Grab Protesters Off Portland Streets
- Sebastian Gorka Argues For Superiority Of “Whiteness”
- Federal Homeland Security admits Portland officials asked them to leave and instead they responded with a hostile military occupation.
- The Authoritarian Operation in Portland Is Only a Dress Rehearsal
- "Feds Stay Clear! Moms Are Here!"
- 'This could happen in your city': Portland mayor issues stark warning over Trump admin's use of federal troops to quell protests
- Portland mayor: Presence of federal troops is escalating violence
- US protests: Oregon takes legal action against federal agents
- Trump refuses to commit to election results if he loses
- Rudy Giuliani: Black Lives Matter is going to take away “your property” and give it to Black people
- DHS Under Boss: We’re Taking This National
- Oregon Attorney General Sues to Stop Federal Arrests of Portland Protesters
- Acting DHS boss Chad Wolf changed his avatar to this pseudo-military pic a couple days ago.
- Multnomah County commissioner and ER doctor reports attack from occupying Federal police
- Portland protests: Federal agents 'abuse power' in arrests
- Trump’s agents are sweeping peaceful citizens off the streets. This is not America.
- Border Patrol does not believe they are a civilian law enforcement agency. They believe they are kin to the Marine Corps.
- The Border Patrol Was Responsible for an Arrest in Portland. An internal memo, obtained exclusively by The Nation, details a coordinated program of domestic counterinsurgency.
- Oregon Gov. Kate Brown Says President Trump Is Invading Portland as an Election Stunt
- U.S. officials dismiss Portland leaders’ calls to leave city
----- 1 -----
The Sparrow Project
twitter.com/sparrowmedia
15 July 2020
https://twitter.com/sparrowmedia/status/1283436911307218948
[THREAD]
Militarized Federal Agents from a patchwork of outside agencies have begun policing Portland (in rented minivans vans) without the explicit approval of the mayor, the state, or local municipalities. This is what that looks like in practice:
[EMBEDDED VIDEO: Two men in military field garb cross a street in a crosswalk, refuse to identify themselves or speak, grab a protester in black who in this video has committed no action of any kind, and haul him away to an unmarked dark grey minivan. They shove him into the van and drive off. Throughout, the videographer demands they identify themselves and explain what they are doing. She is ignored.]
[THREAD CONTINUES AT UPPER LINK]
[EDITOR: Downthread includes additional video of similarly-garbed men in similar vans detaining people without explanation or comment.]
----- 2 -----
Who are these federal officers sent to Portland to deal with protesters?
Interviews and court records help answer questions about the federal officers deployed to Portland.
July 13, 2020
https://www.kgw.com/article/news/investigations/who-are-these-federal-officers-sent-to-portland-to-deal-with-protesters/283-b2c3b375-cd6a-4e8a-b2c3-25cbbb911335
PORTLAND, Ore. — President Trump claimed federal agents deployed to Portland have arrested protesters and calmed the chaos.
“We’ve done a great job in Portland," Trump said on Monday. “Portland was totally out of control, and they went in, and I guess we have many people right now in jail. We very much quelled it, and if it starts again, we'll quell it again very easily. It's not hard to do, if you know what you're doing."
The president’s remarks, following a weekend incident in which a federal agent shot a Portland protester in the head with a less-than-lethal munition, has raised several questions about federal law enforcement.
Who are these federal officers?
Four federal law enforcement agencies including U.S. Marshals, Federal Protective Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations have rotated officers through Portland since early July. The U.S. Marshals Service is the lead agency. It’s not clear how many federal officers are currently in Portland to help with protests. In addition to uniformed law enforcement, court records indicate plain-clothed federal agents have also been working the crowd.
What are they protecting?
Federal officers are protecting federal property and personnel in downtown Portland including the Mark. O Hatfield federal courthouse, Pioneer Courthouse, the Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building and Terry Schrunk Plaza. Local federal officers don’t have enough people to secure all federal buildings.
“We needed some assistance and got that assistance,” said Billy Williams, U.S. Attorney for Oregon.
Prosecutors said there’s already been more than $50,000 in damage to the federal courthouse.
----- 3 -----
USA Today: Navarro’s anti-Fauci column didn’t meet standards
By DAVID BAUDER
15 July 2020
https://apnews.com/ee6e3f37dad5fab530f8f7e6f89c90e8
NEW YORK (AP) — USA Today says that a column that the newspaper solicited and published from presidential trade adviser Peter Navarro criticizing Dr. Anthony Fauci was misleading and did not meet fact-checking standards.
The newspaper explained the decision in a note by Bill Sternberg, editorial page editor, attached to the column online. Navarro’s column originally moved online late Tuesday and was published in Wednesday’s newspaper.
Navarro wrote that Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, “has been wrong about everything I interacted with him on.”
The newspaper on Wednesday evening also ran a fact-check story by Washington reporter Ledyard King examining five of Navarro’s claims.
It wasn’t clear how Navarro’s column escaped such scrutiny before being published. Sternberg said in an email that he’s letting his editorial note speak for itself. The incident is reminiscent of The New York Times saying last month that an opinion column by U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton hadn’t been properly vetted, which led to the resignation of the paper’s opinion editor.
----- 4 -----
Federal Law Enforcement Use Unmarked Vehicles To Grab Protesters Off Portland Streets
by Jonathan Levinson Follow and Conrad Wilson
July 16, 2020
https://www.opb.org/news/article/federal-law-enforcement-unmarked-vehicles-portland-protesters/
UPDATE (7:46 p.m. PT) — In the early hours of July 15, after a night spent protesting at the Multnomah County Justice Center and Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse, Mark Pettibone and his friend Conner O’Shea decided to head home.
It had been a calm night compared to most protesting downtown. By 2 a.m. law enforcement hadn’t used any tear gas and, with only a few exceptions, both the Portland Police Bureau and federal law enforcement officers had stayed out of sight.
A block west of Chapman Square, Pettibone and O’Shea bumped into a group of people who warned them that people in camouflage were driving around the area in unmarked minivans grabbing people off the street.
“So that was terrifying to hear,” Pettibone said.
They had barely made it half a block when an unmarked minivan pulled up in front of them.
“I see guys in camo,” O’Shea said. “Four or five of them pop out, open the door and it was just like, ‘Oh shit. I don’t know who you are or what you want with us.’”
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.
...
Officers from the U.S. Marshals Special Operations Group and Customs and Border Protection’s BORTAC, have been sent to Portland to protect federal property during the recent protests against racism and police brutality.
But interviews conducted by OPB show officers are also detaining people on Portland streets who aren’t near federal property, nor is it clear that all of the people being arrested have engaged in criminal activity. Demonstrators like O’Shea and Pettibone said they think they were targeted by federal officers for simply wearing black clothing in the area of the demonstration.
----- 5 -----
Sebastian Gorka Argues For Superiority Of “Whiteness”
July 17, 2020
Racism, Trump cultists
https://www.joemygod.com/2020/07/sebastian-gorka-argues-for-superiority-of-whiteness/
“What has whiteness brought us? What has western civilization brought us? When you look at the western civilization, when you look at representative democracy, you look at rule of law, you look at equality before the law, you look at equality of the sexes.
“Or, we could go to the African subcontinent and have female genital mutilation be a part of their local culture, or we could have slave markets in Libya. Maybe we should follow the slave markets of Libya, as opposed to the inherent whiteness of our civilization.
“If whiteness is bad, then what do we replace it with? If we have to replace it with, I don’t know, blackness or yellowness, what does that mean? Does it mean that some cultures are better than others? Oops — I thought we weren’t allowed to say that.” – Sebastian Gorka, on his radio show.
Earlier this week Trump announced his intention to appoint Gorka to a four year term on the National Security Education Board.
[EMBEDDED VIDEO AT LINK]
----- 6 -----
Derek Cressman
twitter.com/DerekCressman
17 July 2020
https://twitter.com/DerekCressman/status/1284127384053022725
So, federal Homeland Security admits Portland officials asked them to leave and instead they responded with a hostile military occupation.
[QUOTED TWEET]
Acting Secretary Chad Wolf
twitter.com/DHS_Wolf
17 July 2020
https://twitter.com/DHS_Wolf/status/1284081029683257344
“I offered
dhsgov support to help locally address the situation that’s going on in Portland, and their only response was: please pack up and go home. That’s just not going to happen on my watch.”----- 7 -----
The Authoritarian Operation in Portland Is Only a Dress Rehearsal
A major American city is being softly Pinochet’ed in broad daylight.
By Charles P. Pierce
Jul 17, 2020
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a33347230/portland-oregon-protesters-detained/
Pardon me for being this uncivil this early in the morning but, seriously, what in the FCK is this shit? From Oregon Public Broadcasting:
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.
Federal officers have charged at least 13 people with crimes related to the protests so far, while others have been arrested and released, including Pettibone. They also left one demonstrator hospitalized with skull fractures after shooting him in the face with so-called “less lethal” munitions July 11. Officers from the U.S. Marshals Special Operations Group and Customs and Border Protection’s BORTAC, have been sent to Portland to protect federal property during the recent protests against racism and police brutality. But interviews conducted by OPB show officers are also detaining people on Portland streets who aren’t near federal property, nor is it clear that all of the people being arrested have engaged in criminal activity. Demonstrators like O’Shea and Pettibone said they think they were targeted by federal officers for simply wearing black clothing in the area of the demonstration.
LEO’s in camo? Unmarked vehicles? Disappearing people off the street without charge? Detention in something far too close to a police black site? (Ask some folks in Chicago how those work out.) I always knew I missed something not growing up in Santiago.
----- 8 -----
Joshua Potash
twitter.com/JoshuaPotash
18 July 2020
https://twitter.com/JoshuaPotash/status/1284704272282800128
[THREAD]
Incredible scene in Portland right now. A group of Moms are chanting, “Feds stay clear! Moms are here!” at the federal courthouse.
[EMBEDDED VIDEO FROM
Lindsey Smith (she/her)
twitter.com/LindseyPSmith7
]
[NEXT]
Joshua Potash
twitter.com/JoshuaPotash
https://twitter.com/JoshuaPotash/status/1284705340060246016
Footage is from twitter.com/LindseyPSmith7 who I highly recommend following if you want to see what’s happening at the Portland protests. She has great threads like this almost every night.
[QUOTED TWEET]
Lindsey Smith (she/her)
twitter.com/LindseyPSmith7
18 July 2020
https://twitter.com/LindseyPSmith7/status/1284699091323109377
This group, who says they’re moms against police brutality, is making a human barricade at 3rd & Main.
[EMBEDDED IMAGE AT LINK]
Lindsey Smith (she/her)
twitter.com/LindseyPSmith7
18 July 2020
https://twitter.com/LindseyPSmith7/status/1284709436284534786
The moms are facing the federal courthouse, and the crowd is behind them. The Justice Center, which PPB (and sometimes MCSO) attack from, is also behind them.
[EMBEDDED VIDEO AT LINK]
[THREADS CONTINUE AT LINKS]
----- 9 -----
'This could happen in your city': Portland mayor issues stark warning over Trump admin's use of federal troops to quell protests
Local lawmakers accuse Trump of authoritarianism for deployment of unidentified federal agents
Richard Hall
New York
19 July 2020
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-portland-protests-federal-agents-a9626996.html
Portland’s mayor has called the Trump administration’s use of federal agents to quell protests there “a direct threat to democracy” which could be replicated in other cities across the country.
Local lawmakers and national Democratic leaders have called for the removal of the masked, militarised federal agents from the city, following their deployment ostensibly to protect federal buildings.
Those agents have been accused of driving unmarked cars and seizing people from the street in recent days in the city, which has seen nightly protests for racial justice since the police killing of George Floyd.
“Their presence here is actually leading to more violence and more vandalism. And it's not helping the situation at all. They're not wanted here,” mayor Ted Wheeler said on Sunday. “The tactics that the Trump administration are using on the streets of Portland are abhorrent,” he added.
----- 10 -----
Portland mayor: Presence of federal troops is escalating violence
19 Jul 2020
CNN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZvEsOoRWJ4
Mayor Ted Wheeler of Portland, Oregon, speaks to CNN's Jake Tapper about what he says are the unconstitutional actions of federal troops in his city.
[VIDEO AT LINK]
----- 11 -----
US protests: Oregon takes legal action against federal agents
The state's top prosecutor has sued federal agencies for 'unlawful law enforcement' amid continued protests in Portland.
19 July 2020
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/07/protests-oregon-takes-legal-action-federal-agents-200719145021335.html
Portland protesters have taken to the streets for the 52nd night amid growing condemnation of federal agency forces deployed to the city and the law enforcement tactics they have used.
The most recent night of unrest on Saturday came shortly after the state's attorney general, Ellen Rosenblum, announced she had filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), US Marshals Service, US Customs and Border Protection and the Federal Protection Service saying their tactics infringe upon the civil rights of protesters in the state.
Officers from those agencies had been sent to Portland in recent weeks in what the administration of President Donald Trump has characterised as an attempt to restore order following weeks of unrest after the death in police custody of George Floyd in Minnesota on May 25.
----- 12 -----
Trump refuses to commit to election results if he loses
Aamer Madhani, Colleen Long and Will Weissert, Associated Press Updated 10:41 am PDT, Sunday, July 19, 2020
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Trump-not-ready-to-commit-to-election-results-if-15418681.php
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is refusing to publicly commit to accepting the results of the upcoming White House election, recalling a similar threat he made weeks before the 2016 vote, as he scoffs at polls showing him lagging behind Democrat Joe Biden. Trump says it's too early to make such an ironclad guarantee.
“I have to see. Look ... I have to see,” Trump told moderator Chris Wallace during a wide-ranging interview on ”Fox News Sunday." “No, I’m not going to just say yes. I’m not going to say no, and I didn’t last time either.” The Biden campaign responded: "The American people will decide this election. And the United States government is perfectly capable of escorting trespassers out of the White House.”
Trump also hammered the Pentagon brass for favoring renaming bases that honor Confederate military leaders — a drive for change spurred by the national debate about race after George Floyd's death. “I don’t care what the military says,” the commander in chief said.
----- 13 -----
Rudy Giuliani: Black Lives Matter is going to take away “your property” and give it to Black people
Guiliani: “They’ll also get to choose property that they want, and that’s the reparations for slavery. Except it’ll include Black people that came from the Caribbean”
Written by Media Matters Staff
Published 07/15/20
https://www.mediamatters.org/rudy-giuliani/rudy-giuliani-black-lives-matter-going-take-away-your-property-and-give-it-black
RUDY GIULIANI (HOST): This is not - please, understand this - this is not isolated. This is not spontaneous. This is planned. This is planned by Black Lives Matter, it's funded by Soros to the tune of $30 to $40 million. And the plan is to change your government. To take it away from you. To take away from you a government based on free enterprise. To take away from you your Second Amendment right to bear arms. To take away from you, really, your right to have a religion. Soros is a notorious atheist. Proclaims the fact that he's an atheist. So are Marxists, by the way. It's one of the cores of Marxism, atheism.
----- 14 -----
DHS Under Boss: We’re Taking This National
By Josh Marshall
July 18, 2020
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/dhs-under-boss-were-taking-this-national
When asked about calls for an investigation into DHS police tactics in Portland, Oregon, Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Ken Cuccinelli tells NPR not only are they not going to stop but they want to take the tactics nationwide.
----- 15 -----
Oregon Attorney General Sues to Stop Federal Arrests of Portland Protesters
“Every American should be repulsed when they see this happening. If this can happen here in Portland, it can happen anywhere.”
By Aaron Mesh
Published July 17 at 9:42 PM Updated July 18 at 1:23 PM
https://www.wweek.com/news/courts/2020/07/17/oregon-attorney-general-sues-to-stop-federal-arrests-of-portland-protesters/
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum will file a lawsuit in federal court tonight seeking a temporary restraining order barring the Department of Homeland Security and other federal law enforcement agencies from seizing and detaining Portland protesters without probable cause.
Her announcement follows a July 16 report by Oregon Public Broadcasting that federal officers whisked away protesters in unmarked vans—rental vehicles, it now appears.
She also announced that the Oregon Department of Justice and the Multnomah County district attorney would open a criminal investigation into the July 11 injury of Donavan LaBella, whom a U.S. Marshals Service officer shot in the face with a munition.
----- 16 -----
Josh Marshall
twitter.com/joshtpm
18 July 2020
https://twitter.com/joshtpm/status/1284697128841940992
[THREAD]
I think now we know why acting DHS boss twitter.com/DHS_Wolf changed his avatar to this pic a couple days ago. Ready to do some kinetic campaign work for the paramount leader with full hardware and maximum fluffing.
[EDITOR: EMBEDDED IMAGE of Chad Wolf in aviator glasses and headset. He's never been in the military.]
----- 17 -----
Christen McCurdy
twitter.com/CMcCurdyPDX
19 July 2020
https://twitter.com/CMcCurdyPDX/status/1284977542839975942
Multnomah County commissioner and ER doctor:
[QUOTED TWEET]
Sharon Meieran
twitter.com/SMeieran
19 July 2020
https://twitter.com/SMeieran/status/1284968427338121216
Last night I was teargassed by a federal occupying force I SAW throw canisters of poison, without warning, into a nonviolent crowd, including elders, the vulnerable. We can’t wait for Nov to drive secret police from Pdx! Democracy is slipping away in front of our tear-gassed eyes
[EMBEDDED IMAGES AT LINK]
----- 18 -----
Portland protests: Federal agents 'abuse power' in arrests
18 July 2020
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53453077
Oregon Governor Kate Brown has accused US federal agents in unmarked cars who apparently detained protesters in Portland of a "blatant abuse of power".
Federal officers, deployed by President Donald Trump, have also fired tear gas and less-lethal munitions into crowds of demonstrators.
Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf called the protesters a "violent mob".
Activists have been protesting against police brutality since George Floyd's killing in police custody on 25 May.
On Friday evening local time, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said that the state justice department was filing a lawsuit against the federal government over the detention of protesters "without probable cause".
"These tactics must stop," Ms Rosenblum said in a statement. "They not only make it impossible for people to assert their First Amendment rights to protest peacefully, they also create a more volatile situation on our streets."
----- 19 -----
Trump’s agents are sweeping peaceful citizens off the streets. This is not America.
Opinion by Ruth Marcus
Deputy editorial page editor
July 17, 2020 at 10:19 a.m. PDT
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/07/17/whats-happening-portland-shows-trump-is-ignoring-constitution-attacking-america/
“Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech … or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Something terrible, something dangerous — and, yes, something unconstitutional — is happening in Portland, Ore. It must be stopped.
“Federal law enforcement officers have been using unmarked vehicles to drive around downtown Portland and detain protesters since at least July 14,” reports Oregon Public Broadcasting. “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 report continues: “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.”
Of course, authorities — and we’ll get to the matter of what authorities in a bit — have the power to prevent violence. But that doesn’t seem to be what’s happening in Portland, where nightly protests have been taking place since early June. Law enforcement agents aren’t targeting protesters who engaged in violence; they appear to be sweeping up random people who have exercised their rights under the First Amendment.
Like Mark Pettibone, 29, who was heading home in the early hours of Wednesday morning when, according to The Post’s Katie Shepherd, “several men in green military fatigues and generic ‘police’ patches sprang out of an unmarked gray minivan.” Pettibone was detained, searched, driven to the federal courthouse, placed in a holding cell and read his Miranda rights against self-incrimination. He declined to waive them. And then, about 90 minutes later, he was released.
----- 20 -----
Jenn Budd
twitter.com/BuddJenn
12 February 2020
https://twitter.com/BuddJenn/status/1227623752583667713
[EDITOR: I have run this before. I am running it again now, because it is exceedingly relevant.]
THREAD: I recently spent some time talking privately with a former Washington DC CBP senior management official. This is what stuck with me: Border Patrol does not believe they are a civilian law enforcement agency. They believe they are kin to the Marine Corps.
[NEXT]
2) They do not believe they are accountable to Congress, which is why they have no issues lying to them even while under oath. They believe they are only accountable to the President and even then, only to presidents like Trump.
[NEXT]
3) Border Patrol believes it is not required to answer to local police, FBI, CIA or any other law enforcement agency. They claim to be to “premiere” law enforcement agency, superior to all others. They say they will become a “national police force.” To be used by a president
[NEXT]
4) to enforce laws even among citizens. They know their forces are larger than is necessary, that is why they created this fake crisis. They know they have more gear than they need, that is why they stress emergency response, so they can get more.
[NEXT]
5) And I am telling you, this comes from as high as you can get. This is why they have amassed such a force. Bookmark this.
----- 21 -----
The Border Patrol Was Responsible for an Arrest in Portland
An internal memo, obtained exclusively by The Nation, details a coordinated program of domestic counterinsurgency.
By Ken KlippensteinTwitter
July 17, 2020
https://www.thenation.com/article/society/border-patrol-portland-arrest/
For days, federal agents in unmarked cars have reportedly been snatching Portland protesters off the streets. On Thursday, video emerged of federal agents clad in camouflage fatigues and unspecified “police” patches apprehending one such demonstrator and placing him in an unmarked vehicle. Social media lit up with speculation about the intentions—and the identity—of these agents. A memo consisting of internal talking points for the federal agency responsible for the arrest, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and obtained exclusively by The Nation provides some answers—and raises even more questions.
Dated July 1, the memo is titled “Public Affairs Guidance: CBP Support to Protect Federal Facilities and Property” and marked “For Official Use Only.” It describes a special task force created by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in response to President Trump’s Executive Order on Protecting American Monuments, Memorials, and Statues and Combating Recent Criminal Violence. That task force, the Protecting American Communities Task Force (PACT), has been tasked not only to assess civil unrest but also to “surge” resources to protect against it.
The Portland arrest of Mark Pettibone, first reported by Oregon Public Broadcasting, followed several similar arrests involving officers from a Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC)—CBP’s equivalent of a SWAT team—as well as the US Marshals Special Operations Group. A CBP spokesman confirmed to The Nation that CBP agents were responsible for the arrest, pointing to authorities under the Protecting American Communities Task Force.
“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,” said the CBP spokesman. “These criminal actions will not be tolerated.”
The talking points memo identifies a series of potential questions, including many of those being asked in response to the Portland arrests. In several cases, it instructs CBP officials not to answer them, citing “operational security.” For example, in response to questions about where CBP personnel are being deployed, the memo says “it would not be appropriate to disclose law enforcement operational specifics which could jeopardize operational security.” As for questions about when CBP personnel will be deployed and for how long, the memo states, “We do not give out operational specifics, however we hope this support will be short-term, just for the July 4th weekend.” The CBP spokesman, however, did not give any indication the operation would be coming to an end. “The Department of Homeland Security [DHS] and its components will continue to work tirelessly to reestablish law and order,” he said.
----- 22 -----
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown Says President Trump Is Invading Portland as an Election Stunt
Her comments come in the same hour that acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf landed in Portland.
By Aaron Mesh
Published July 16 at 2:39 PM Updated July 16 at 4:27 PM
https://www.wweek.com/news/2020/07/16/oregon-gov-kate-brown-says-president-trump-is-invading-portland-as-an-election-stunt/
As top federal law enforcement officials arrived in Oregon on Thursday, Gov. Kate Brown accused President Donald Trump of deploying federal officers to Portland to crack down on protesters as a way to boost his flailing reelection prospects.
In an uncharacteristically harsh statement, Brown responded to Trump's deployment of federal officers to quell Portland's protests against police violence. Those officers sent one demonstrator to the hospital July 11 with a munition to the face.
"This political theater from President Trump has nothing to do with public safety," Brown said. "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."
Her comments come in the same hour that acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf landed in Portland, according to KOIN News 6. This morning, Wolf refused a request from Mayor Ted Wheeler to withdraw his officers from Portland.
----- 23 -----
U.S. officials dismiss Portland leaders’ calls to leave city
July 19, 2020 at 5:36 pm Updated July 19, 2020 at 6:34 pm
By Maria Sacchetti
and Marissa J. Lang
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/u-s-officials-dismiss-portland-leaders-calls-to-leave-city/
PORTLAND – A top Homeland Security Department official on Sunday vowed that the agency will maintain a heavy presence in Portland — and send reinforcements to other U.S. cities, if violence surged — as the mayor of Oregon’s largest city implored federal agents to stand down amid escalating clashes with protesters.
Ken Cuccinelli, acting deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), said the agency had deployed tactical units from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to help defend federal buildings and officers. He said the DHS also expanded its numbers in other cities as demonstrations had escalated in recent months.
