Wednesday evening, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler was among protesters tear gassed by federal authorities. Wheeler has decried the presence of the federal authorities in his city, saying that they are there against the wishes of local authorities. President Donald Trump sent the federal authorities to Portland in unmarked small SUVs to quell political unrest.
Portland, like many other cities, has seen nightly protests against police brutality. The Black Lives Matter-led protests were sparked by the May 25 killing of George Floyd at the hands of police officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis. Since Floyd’s death, the protests have been a nightly occurrence in cities around the country.
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler on Wednesday night entered the throng of protesters clashing with federal authorities.
Videos of the event show some protestors shouting at Wheeler. Many call for his resignation, while others shout about law enforcement reform. Wheeler then moves toward the federal courthouse, which has become a focal point of the clashes between protesters and federal authorities.
After this, federal authorities met Wheeler and other protesters with tear gas. Many have noted that local law enforcement no longer uses tear gas, and officials at the Geneva Convention outlawed the substance for use in war. However, federal authorities continue to use the irritant.
The White House tapped agencies like the Department of Homeland Security and Border Patrol to instill “law and order” in Portland. The president has insisted that the forces are in place to help Portland, not hurt it. However, local authorities view the federal agencies as over-reaching.
The federal agencies are raising fears about authoritarian abuse of power because they are not wearing clear identification, and they’re driving unmarked cars. However, the White House insists that the federal agencies are staying in place.
The presence of unmarked vans and so-called “secret police” in Portland has had the opposite of the desired effect. Instead of cowing protesters and dispelling nightly unrest, the federal authorities have actually reinvigorated Portland’s protest movement. Organizers in the city have noted that the news of the federal authorities has brought more people into the streets.
Protesters, when met with resistance from authority, often redouble their efforts. Many in Portland have reported that the protests were losing steam, and many were simple and peaceful. Now, agitated by the specter of authoritarian control, the protests have a new energy.
