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Mayors Want US Agents Blocked from Portland, Other Cities

Associated Press

   PORTLAND, ORE. - The mayors of Portland, Oregon, and five other major
   U.S. cities appealed Monday to Congress to make it illegal for the
   federal government to deploy militarized agents to cities that don't
   want them.
   "This administration's egregious use of federal force on cities over
   the objections of local authorities should never happen," the mayors of
   Portland, Seattle, Chicago, Kansas City, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and
   Washington wrote to leaders of the U.S. House and Senate.
   Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty late
   called for a meeting with Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf
   to discuss a cease-fire and removal of heightened federal forces from
   Portland.
   Earlier in the day, a U.S. official said militarized officers would
   remain in Portland until attacks on a federal courthouse cease -- and
   more officers may soon be on the way.
   "It is not a solution to tell federal officers to leave when there
   continues to be attacks on federal property and personnel," U.S.
   Attorney Billy Williams said. "We are not leaving the building
   unprotected to be destroyed by people intent on doing so."
   Local and state officials said the federal officers are unwelcome.
   The city has had nightly protests for two months since the police
   killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May. President Donald Trump
   said he sent federal agents to Portland to halt the unrest, but state
   and local officials said they are making the situation worse.
   Trump's deployment of the federal officers over the July 4 weekend
   stoked the Black Lives Matter movement. The number of nightly
   protesters had dwindled to perhaps less than 100 right before the
   deployment, and now has swelled to the thousands.

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