Portland protests: Federal forces ready for phased pullout
The Trump administration is planning to withdraw some federal security forces from Portland, Oregon, after weeks of clashes with protesters.
US Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said the pullout was conditional on local police protecting federal buildings, the focal point of unrest.
Oregon Governor Kate Brown said federal agents would start leaving the state’s biggest city from Thursday.
Portland has been rocked by 62 consecutive days of demonstrations.
In his statement, the US homeland security secretary set no timeline for a pullout.
But he said he and the governor had “agreed to a joint plan to end the violent activity in Portland directed at federal properties and law enforcement officers”.
“That plan includes a robust presence of Oregon State Police in downtown Portland.”
He added that “state and local law enforcement will begin securing properties and streets, especially those surrounding federal properties, that have been under nightly attack”.
