Protests against racism spread to several other US cities

The city of Portland has been rocked by unrest over the weekend. Donald Trump has called for a more forceful response to protesters, while the deployment of federal police officers has not only failed to bring calm, but has also led to the spread of unrest.

Chad Wolf, acting head of the United States Department of Homeland Security, described the situation in Portland as "very serious" in an interview with Fox News, saying that "at night the city is spiraling out of control."

Donald Trump and his administration's approach to the recent protests and unrest in the United States has sparked widespread criticism. Despite this, the US president has not only deployed federal police officers against the wishes of some state governors, but has now also called for a more decisive approach to the protesters.

News reports indicate that unrest continues in Portland, while other US cities have also experienced unrest over the weekend. Protests against racism have been ongoing in Portland since the killing of George Floyd.

In Portland, clashes between anti-racism protesters and federal police officers continued into the last days of last week. Despite the opposition of the governor of Oregon, the Trump administration has sent special federal police units to the area to end the unrest in Portland.

Trump has said the purpose of sending federal police to the city was to protect the federal courthouse, which protesters say has been converted into a special police station and jail. The courthouse has been a major rallying point for protesters in Portland.

A more assertive approach

Chad Wolf, acting head of the US Department of Homeland Security, spoke to Fox News on Sunday evening, July 26, about the Trump administration's new policy regarding the Portland unrest. Without providing more specific information, Wolf said that Trump wants to take a more decisive approach to the protesters.

Trump recently called the protesters “terrorists.” Donald Trump has criticized the Democratic governors of these US states, accusing them of failing to ensure peace and order.

This comes at a time when Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, has called for an end to the interference of Trump and US federal police officers in maintaining peace in these states.

Some critics of Trump's policy in dealing with the unrest have stated that by sending in federal police officers, Trump intended to distract public attention from the problems arising from the spread of the coronavirus, as well as economic problems.

Spread of unrest

The deployment of federal police officers has not only failed to restore peace to Portland, but has also spread unrest to other states and cities in the United States.

In response to increasing criticism, the US Department of Justice has announced an investigation into the performance of federal police in the state of Oregon.

In addition to Portland, protests against racism have also taken place in Seattle, Washington, and Oakland, a major city in California.

One person was shot and killed during a protest in Austin, Texas, on Saturday, July 25. The cause of death is still under investigation. An Austin police spokesman said the man may have been carrying a weapon.

Chad Wolf has also called the participants in the Portland protests "anarchists" and reported the arrest of a number of protesters.

Some people were reportedly arrested by police in Seattle. There have also been reports of several police officers being injured by rocks and glass thrown by protesters.

Source: DW