AMNA NAWAZ: State and local leaders in Portland,
Oregon, are calling for federal agents sent
in response to weeks of protests to leave
the city. Those protests were first sparked
by the police killing of George Floyd.
Since their arrival, federal agents wearing
military-style gear, and sometimes driving
unmarked vans, have unleashed tear gas into
crowds, rounded up and detained protesters,
and even shot one man in the head with a non-lethal
round, causing serious injury.
Their presence and their tactics have raised
questions about the use of federal agencies
to police cities, even when local authorities
don't want them there.
Jonathan Levinson has been reporting on all
this for Oregon Public Broadcasting, and he
joins me now.
Jonathan, welcome to the "NewsHour."
We should point out that those protests have
been largely peaceful. There's been vandalism,
some property damage, but you have been following
this. So tell me, when did you first notice
there were federal agents, not local police.
And who do we know that those federal agents
are?
JONATHAN LEVINSON, Oregon Public Broadcasting:
So, there's always federal agents at the federal
courthouse.
But there was an increased presence and they
played a much larger role starting around
July 4. And that's when sort of federal reinforcements
came from the U.S. Marshals special operations
group and Customs and Border Protections'
BORTAC, which is essentially their SWAT team.
And that night, July 4, and then since then,
they have been playing a much more active
role, clearing the protesters off the streets,
in some nights right alongside Portland police
and, as you mentioned, really venturing away
from federal properties onto the city streets
in order to effect arrests at times even.
AMNA NAWAZ: And there have been a lot of questions
around who those men are in camouflage.
Do we now know who those agents are, what
agency they're from?
JONATHAN LEVINSON: So, yes.
Just recently, about an hour ago, Acting Deputy
Secretary for Homeland Security Ken Cuccinelli
acknowledged that it was Homeland Security
officers doing it, and basically said that
this is a tactic they use.
The U.S. attorney in Oregon here, Billy Williams,
announced an investigation, or he requested
that the Homeland Security inspector general
launch an investigation into possible arrests
being done without probable cause.
AMNA NAWAZ: And there's a lot of questions
about their tactics.
You reported on the story of one protester,
a man named Mark Pettibone. He says he was
peacefully protesting on the evening of July
15, taken into custody in an unmarked car
by armed men in camouflage.
From what you have been able to report, what
exactly happened to Pettibone?
JONATHAN LEVINSON: So, Pettibone has been
protesting a couple nights a week since all
of this started.
On -- that was Wednesday night, he was protesting.
It's sort of a festive atmosphere at these
protests some nights. And this was one of
those nights they were dancing. There was
music. He said he was playing Frisbee for
a while.
Around 2:30 in the morning, he and a friend
walked back to their car. And a few blocks
away from where the protests are from the
federal courthouse, a minivan pulls up. Four
or five guys with rifles jump out. He said
his beanie was pulled down over his head,
blindfolding him, they tossed him in a van,
and one officer held his arms above his head
while they drove around a little bit.
And, eventually, he was unloaded inside a
building, which, only after he was released,
did he learn was the federal courthouse. While
he was in there, they searched his stuff.
They photographed him. They read him his rights.
He was under the impression that he was being
arrested. He asked for a lawyer, and, very
soon after, he was released. They didn't give
him any paperwork. They didn't give him any
indication that he had been charged with anything.
He still isn't sure if he's been charged with
anything.
AMNA NAWAZ: Jonathan, less than a minute left.
We should remind people, as we mentioned earlier,
that city and state officials say they don't
want these federal agents there. You have
been in touch with the agencies. What are
they telling you about their presence?
JONATHAN LEVINSON: Well, the federal agencies
say that they are here to quell, they have
called it mob violence. They have called the
protesters criminals.
The governor has said that their presence
is a provocation and that they are unwanted
here. The mayor has said that they should
stay inside their buildings and not come out,
and, if they can't do that, then they should
leave.
AMNA NAWAZ: That is Oregon Public Broadcasting's
Jonathan Levinson joining us tonight with
the latest on the protests in Portland.
Thanks so much, Jonathan.
JONATHAN LEVINSON: Thank you.
