In Portland, Federal law enforcement officers were seen dragging protesters into unmarked vehicles amid the demonstrations, said a protester to reporters.
Hidden forces
According to USA Today, Video recordings of the incident shows the officers driving their vehicle near other people and arresting them without offering an explanation before quickly speeding off. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit on Friday in an attempt to stop the apparent lawlessness seen in Portland.
The lawsuit marks the first of several lawsuits the ACLU filed against Trump and his administration in the city of Portland and aimed to bar the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies from unjustly mistreating journalists and legal observers during demonstrations.
In a post on Twitter, the ACLU stated that Federal agents were acting like terrorists within the community, threatening and continuously attacking protesters fighting against police brutality. It continued to say that the authorities' actions were unjust and must be stopped immediately.
A resident of Portland, 30-year-old Conner O'Shea, has frequently been attending protests for nearly two months since they began with the death of George Floyd. He also revealed that he and his friend were going back to their vehicle after joining a protest downtown when they noticed men who were pursuing them that they suspected to be Federal agents.
Other protesters had previously warned O'Shea that some Federal agents were wandering around inside unmarked vehicles and were "snatching people." O'Shea stated he witnessed a van pulling over near the sidewalk before about four or five men in camouflage clothing started rushing towards them.
O'Shea and his friend decided to flee in separate directions, and he noted that he failed to see any distinguishable marks on the pursuers, nor did he see any badge, number, or writing on their uniforms. Fortunately, O'Shea was able to shake the unidentified men and was later picked up by his friend who drove him back home.
The friend, 29-year-old Mark Pettibone, said federal agents detained him during the encounter, a claim that O'Shea confirmed.
O'Shea noted he had never experienced a terrifying experience as with the camouflaged men and that nothing he saw at protests scared him as they did.
A recent development
Unmarked vehicles have been used by Federal agents previously to drive around the city since at least July 14, as reported by OPB. Multiple Federal officials and United States President Donald Trump have previously announced they planned on stopping the demonstrations as the unmarked vehicle tactic seems to suggest that Federal agent deployment is being escalated in the streets of Portland.
Federal officers have arrested and charged at least 13 individuals relating to the protests while others, similar to Pettibone, have been released. One protester was also left in the hospital with skull fractures after agents allegedly shot him in the face on July 11 with non-lethal ammunition.
Several officers have been sent to Portland from the US Marshals Special Operations Group as well as the Customs and Border Protection's BORTAC to assist in protecting federal property during violent protests and demonstrations.
