Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsOpinion: Trump just adding fuel to fire set by Portland's Democratic leaders
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/Opinion-Democratic-leaders-and-local-police-in-15426722.phpMy friend and chair of the history department at Oregons Lewis & Clark College, Maureen Healy, was shot in the head by President Donald Trumps police with a less lethal munition late Monday night. She is doing fine now and at home, but the feds must go. And so must the local police. Long before the feds arrived in Portland, local police assaulted scores of journalists, legal observers and peaceful protesters with tear gas, pepper spray and flash bang grenades, beating some of them with batons.
The story of Portlands progressive Mayor Ted Wheeler resisting Trumps storm troopers brutalization of Black Lives Matter protesters serves Trumps campaign as well as Wheelers efforts to distract from his own police bureaus damning record. In Portland, the mayor is the police commissioner. As the national media focuses on the unconstitutional abductions of protesters from the streets of Portland and the nightly litany of assaults on protesters, the much longer and more persistent history of local police engaging in some of the very same attacks is lost.
In a letter to Attorney General William Barr and Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf, Wheeler joined with progressive mayors from Seattle, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Kansas City to decry the use of significant force against protesters on a nightly basis. Portlands police have been using the same tactics for more than 50 days. Is Wheeler only upset when federal forces are the ones doing the brutalizing? Ultimately, almost all policing is local, and if you want to stop police brutality, you must address police violence in cities led by liberal Democrat mayors.
The apparent showdown between Portlands mayor and Trumps police obscures the fact that local police had already been collaborating with federal police throughout these protests. The mayor has repeatedly insisted that there was no cooperation between local and federal police, and yet hours after one of his public pronouncements, federal officers and Portland police advanced on protesters in a coordinated operation. We also learned from Deputy Chief Chris Davis testimony to state lawmakers that a member of the Federal Protective Services was in the downtown Portland police command post during the demonstrations. Portlands Chief of Police Chuck Lovell also revealed that his officers share real-time plans with the federal police and operate in very, very close proximity. While the mayor is scrambling to distance himself from Trump, it is clear that the federal and local police are standing shoulder-to-shoulder. On Wednesday, City Council voted to cease any cooperation between city law enforcement and federal agents in Portland.
*snip*
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
3 replies, 498 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (4)
ReplyReply to this post
3 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Opinion: Trump just adding fuel to fire set by Portland's Democratic leaders (Original Post)
Nevilledog
Jul 2020
OP
Interesting...I agree I really wish Portland would go home. They play right into dotard's shit show
Thekaspervote
Jul 2020
#3
Thekaspervote
(32,819 posts)1. Whoa!! Good find, thx for posting. Bookmarking
It gives me hope that things will not go so far wrong in other cities
LeftInTX
(25,720 posts)2. Who knows?
Portland was probably targeted by Trump for various reasons.
I live in San Antonio and if a bunch of stormtroopers showed up here, everyone would just go home. Trump knew he could get a show in Portland, but if no one shows up, why bother?
Also Ted Cruz wants to punish Oregon. (Well that's another shitshow itself)
Thekaspervote
(32,819 posts)3. Interesting...I agree I really wish Portland would go home. They play right into dotard's shit show