The mood in downtown Portland, Ore., late Saturday evening was lively and protesters appeared rejuvinated as several thousand people took to the streets in front of the federal courthouse once more, calling for federal agents to leave and an end to police brutality and racism.
Federal agents deployed tear gas into the crowd starting around 11 p.m., shortly after emerging from the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse, which has been the epicenter of nightly protests for two months and has caught the attention of people across the country.
That sense of solidarity surfaced Saturday when protests erupted once more in cities across the U.S., including Seattle and downtown Los Angeles.
The protests in Seattle, however, turned chaotic and according to the Associated Press, 21 officers suffered minor injuries and 40 arrests were made.
In Portland, protesters from all walks of life came out to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement, including teachers, Portland-area healthcare workers and LGBTQ allies.
Like previous nights, protesters wearing gas masks and helmets continued their standoff with federal agents by setting off fireworks and using leaf blowers and hockey sticks to return the plumes of white tear gas back toward federal agents.
Mitchell Felton, 26, and his friend Zach Woods, 21, were among the protesters who saw federal agents as they emerged from the federal courthouse.
The pair are from South Carolina and were on a road trip when they decided to stop in Portland in order to participate in the protest.
“We decided to come because we wanted to show our support to Portland and for the Black Lives Matter movement,” Felton said.
Up the street, about a block away from the federal courthouse, protesters started an impromptu dance party for a few minutes.
Nearby, Eboni Washington, 36, said she felt compelled to come out because she wants to demonstrate solidarity with protesters who have taken to the streets in cities across the country Saturday to protest against police brutality and the presence of federal officers sent by President Trump.
“I’m proud to be Black. And I want to show everyone that what we need right now is more solidarity,” she said as she leaned against a building about a block from the federal courthouse.
“Especially in Portland. I have friends who’ve gotten shot by the police. I’m here for them.”
By 1 a.m., protesters had torn down the protective fence that lined the perimeter of the federal courthouse.
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Protest crowd gathers in Portland over Feds' presence - Los Angeles Times
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