PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU/CNN) – Thursday night, protests were notably more peaceful near the federal courthouse in Portland. That area has been the center of protests in the city for over 60 days.
Portland police and Oregon State Police are now working together to take over for federal officers who had been protecting the facility.
For weeks now, protesters have taken to the streets of Portland calling for federal officers to leave. Friday is that day.
Going forward OSP troopers will be outside of federal buildings in Portland, working to keep the peace, according to Oregon Governor Kate Brown.
Just a few weeks ago city council made it so the Portland Police Bureau could not help or assist federal officers. But how involved will the PPB be with OSP?
Mayor Ted Wheeler said, “And collectively, they agreed there would have to be some communication as we go through this transitional phase of the federal officers leaving. And state and local law enforcement coming in. So the degree of communication as I understood it is around coordinating that handoff.”
As for less-lethal munitions, like tear gas, the mayor says it will be limited. “I was determined that we would have an agreement on that prior to us trying to manage these demonstrations collectively. And we agreed on the use of tear gas being limited to circumstances where there is a risk of serious injury or death. That is our consensus opinion.”
The mayor says Portland can take this time to heal, reopen, and re-engage with its residents.
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