A Portland Police Bureau assistant chief said in court recently that federal police were “instigating” some of the clashes between officers and protesters outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in South Portland.
Other records reveal police were aware of — and concerned about — potential excessive use of force by federal police as early as mid-June. Portland Mayor Keith Wilson recently called on the Department of Homeland Security to investigate federal officers’ use of force against nonviolent protesters captured on video and published by The Oregonian/OregonLive.
The protests at the building began in early June in response to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown across the country. They peaked that month but have continued ever since, with major flare-ups in July and early September…