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US Federal Agents to Begin Portland Withdrawal

VOA News

   Gov. Kate Brown of the northwestern U.S. state of Oregon said federal
   officers would begin leaving the city of Portland on Thursday after an
   agreement between local and federal officials.

   The federal government said the deployment to Portland was necessary to
   restore order and faulted local leaders for allowing ongoing protests
   that they said endangered federal property, including a courthouse.

   Brown was among the leaders who criticized the presence of the federal
   agents, saying Wednesday they "acted as an occupying force and brought
   violence." Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said "their presence has led to
   increased violence and vandalism in our downtown core."

   Chad Wolf, acting secretary at the'¯Department of Homeland Security,
   did not give a timeline on the withdrawal but said state and local law
   enforcement would begin to take over securing streets and properties
   around federal properties.

   "The Department will continue to maintain our current, augmented
   federal law enforcement personnel in Portland until we are assured that
   the Hatfield Federal Courthouse and other federal properties will no
   longer be attacked and that the seat of justice in Portland will remain
   secure. This has been our mission and objective since the violent,
   criminal activity began," Wolf said.

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