onfocus

If you haven't been following the story of anonymous federal border patrol agents harassing protesters in Portland, Oregon, here's a quick rundown:

OPB: Federal Law Enforcement Use Unmarked Vehicles To Grab Protesters Off Portland Streets

"Oregon Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkely said if Wolf is coming to inflame the situation in Portland so the President can “look tough,” the acting DHS leader should leave. “Federal forces shot an unarmed protester in the face,” Merkely said in a tweet. “These shadowy forces have been escalating, not preventing, violence.”"

Willamette Week: Oregon Gov. Kate Brown Says President Trump Is Invading Portland as an Election Stunt

"This political theater from President Trump has nothing to do with public safety," Brown said. "The president is failing to lead this nation. Now he is deploying federal officers to patrol the streets of Portland in a blatant abuse of power by the federal government."

New York Times: Federal Agents Unleash Militarized Crackdown on Portland

"The aggressive federal posture has complicated the mission of the Department of Homeland Security, an agency that has spent much of its history focused on foreign terrorism threats and is supposed to build collaborative relationships with local law enforcement partners. And it raises questions of whether it is appropriate for federal authorities to take up the policing of an American city against the wishes of local leaders."

Lawfare: What the Heck Are Federal Law Enforcement Officers Doing in Portland?

"As noted above, the Oregon statute that authorizes federal law enforcement officers to enforce Oregon law requires the officer to identify their authority and their reason for making the arrest. It does not seem like a stretch to interpret that provision to require an officer to at least identify themselves (1) as a federal law enforcement officer; if not (2) as an employee of a specific federal agency with law enforcement authority."

ACLU: Organization Seeks to Block Federal Law Enforcement Attacks on Journalists, Legal Observers in Portland

"The lawsuit was filed on behalf of legal observers and local journalists. Named plaintiffs include The Portland Mercury; Matthew Lewis-Rolland, a freelance photographer who federal agents shot 10 times in the back on Sunday; Justin Yau, a freelance journalist who federal agents attacked with tear gas; and Doug Brown, a legal observer who federal agents threatened to shoot. All individuals were wearing high-visibility shirts that said “PRESS” or “legal observer.”"

New York Times: 50 Nights of Unrest in Portland

"Portland is being used as a bellwether to see what this administration can get away with. And also what works to quell protest. The police tactics don’t work. We’re on night 50. There’s this knowledge, I believe, in the more lucid chunks of the administration, that this problem will get worse in the next month. August is shaping up to be one of the hardest months in our nation’s modern history. September may be worse. And it will have to come to a head."

NPR: DHS Official On Reports Of Federal Officers Detaining Protesters In Portland, Ore.

"...this is a posture we intend to continue not just in Portland but in any of the facilities that we're responsible for around the country."

The Fed seems to be equating light property damage with violence to justify anonymous border patrol military in the streets of Portland and beyond.

The view from my hotel room yesterday. Go Large.

I went to a cyclocross race for the first time in Portland this weekend to take some pictures. Unfortunately I left my camera batteries at home so I had to get by with my sound recorder and a little video camera I had with me. The main thing I wanted to capture was the sound of the race. The cyclists don't make much noise, but the crowd comes armed with cowbells or even pots and pans to rally the cyclists as they go past. The noise ebbed and flowed as the riders were on different parts of the course. Here's a sample:



The cowbells give the cheering a distinct sound. If you're curious about what it looked like, here are some of the video clips I shot: