US federal forces brutally clamp down on Portland protesters

Brutal US agents have once again clamped down on pro-justice protesters staging daily rallies in Portland, Oregon, as more groups join the lines of protesters there.

Demonstrations in support of racial justice and police reform began in the US and beyond after the police killing of handcuffed black man George Floyd in Minneapolis became viral.

Militarized federal agents deployed in Portland clamped down on pro-justice demonstrators gathered on Monday night to protest against police brutality. Unrest continued into the early hours of Tuesday.

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It was reported that the once-peaceful protests had now turned violent during the nights. Vandalism took place, a police union building was set on fire, and a security barricade was brought down according to news reports.  

Federal agents were using "egregious" force in a brutal crackdown on Portland that has been the scene of ongoing clashes with protesters. The agents -- some dressed in military attire and others in plain clothes -- use batons, tear gas and projectiles to beat, disperse and arrest protesters taking part in the demonstrations. Other reports said more agents may be on their way to Portland to counter the gowiing pro-justice rallies that were both swelling in size and spreading to other cities.

Elsewhere across the US, violent clashes were reported near a courthouse in Oakland, California; vehicles were set ablaze in Richmond, Virginia; a protester was shot and killed in Austin, Texas; and two people were shot and wounded in Aurora, Colorado after a car rammed into the protesters.

The excessive use of force by police and the brutality used to clamp down on the pro-justice anti-racism protesters ironically calling for an end to US police brutality has been denounced by many people from all walks of society.

The mayors of several cities were among the many US officials who have appealed to Congress to ban the deployment of militarized federal agents to crackdown on US citizens in cities where the local officials do not want them.

“This administration’s egregious use of federal force on cities over the objections of local authorities should never happen,” Portland, Seattle, Chicago, Kansas City Albuquerque and Washington DC mayors wrote in a joint letter addressing lawmakers in the US Congress.

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The mayors appealed to the Congress lawmakers, urging them to require consultation with and consent from local authorities before such deployments.

Meanwhile, US Attorney General William Barr defended the federal agents brutal crackdown on the Portland protesters.

In a congressional testimony on Tuesday, Barr said attacks on a federal courthouse in Portland had represented "an assault on the government of the United States."

"The most basic responsibility of government is to ensure the rule of law," Barr told the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, adding that, "The Justice Department will continue working to meet that solemn responsibility."

The US Justice Department has been facing sharp criticism for its role in sending the federal agents responsible for the heavy-handed crackdown on protesters in Portland.

Since the unwarranted police killing of Floyd on May 25, nationwide protests have continued on a daily basis in several US cities.

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