WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents detained protesters in Portland, Oregon, and took them away for questioning at a location deemed safe from violent mobs, the agency said in a press release.
The agency’s statement is in response to US media reports and images on social media showing federal agents in military gear taking several protesters away in unmarked vehicles amid protests near a federal court house on Thursday night.
The images drew criticism from Democratic lawmakers and rights groups claiming it was unconstitutional and wrong.
The CBP said “violent anarchists” have been behind the demonstrations in Portland the past several weeks, claiming that their intentions are to destroy federal property and to injure federal officers.
US media reported that the federal response has been limited to federal property so far.
Portland, a stronghold for anarchist groups and far-left activists has been subject to protests and riots since the 25 May death of African American man George Floyd while in police custody, with businesses suffering millions of dollars in losses from destroyed property and shoppers who stayed away, according to media reports.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
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