Oregon sued the U.S. over the detention of residents during anti-racism protests in Portland, shortly after a judge ruled that journalists alleging local police had assaulted them could add federal agents to their own lawsuit.
In her suit against the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Marshals Service, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum alleges they have overstepped their powers in threatening, injuring or arresting protesters. The journalists made similar claims, saying police had assaulted them at Black Lives Matter demonstrations, coordinating their response with federal authorities.
Oregon cited two incidents it says took place in the past week. On July 12, a peaceful protester was struck in the head with an "impact weapon” and sustained severe injuries, according to the AG’s office. On Thursday, it says, "an unmarked minivan with undercover federal agents wearing generic green military fatigues” forcibly detained a second protester, who was later released.