18 people face federal charges after arrests at courthouse protests in Portland

The Oregon US Attorney informed news sources that 18 people will be charged for indulging in disruptive activities at a BLM protest site. 

On Monday, 5 individuals were taken into custody. On Tuesday, 7 individuals were arrested. And on Wednesday, 6 more people were taken in. Out of the 18, 4 were arrested for allegedly assaulting an agent. One individual is charged with arson. Meanwhile, most of them were taken in because they refused to follow orders. 

All 18 individuals were made to appear in court and then were released. 

“The Hatfield Federal Courthouse has been a nightly target of vandalism during evening protests and riots, sustaining extensive damage,” said the US Attorney from Oregon

Donald Trump commented on the subject saying that federal security forces were deployed at the site for the city property’s protection. However, the federal agents’ presence led to the protest going violent. 

CNN reported that the gathering was largely peaceful. However, some individuals had released fireworks towards the federal building. In retaliation, the agents released tear gas and tried to disperse the crowd. 

The peaceful protest had been going in for over fifty days now.

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