ACLU Files Lawsuit Against Trump to Stop Him From Arresting Antifa Rioters in Portland, Oregon | Eastern NC Now

Publisher's note: This post appears here courtesy of the LifeZette, and written by Polizette Staff.

    The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) just filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Marshals Service after they sent in federal agents to stop Antifa protesters in Portland, Oregon.

    The lawsuit aims to stop federal law enforcement from dispersing, arresting, threatening to arrest, or using physical force against journalists or legal observers, according to The Hill. The ACLU has pledged that this is only one of many lawsuits the group will be filing for "unconstitutional attacks" on protesters in the city.

    "This is a fight to save our democracy," said Kelly Simon, interim legal director with the ACLU of Oregon. "Under the direction of the Trump administration, federal agents are terrorizing the community, risking lives, and brutally attacking protesters demonstrating against police brutality."

    "These federal agents must be stopped and removed from our city," Simon continued. "We will continue to bring the full fire power of the ACLU to bear until this lawless policing ends."

    The lawsuit was filed after reports came in claiming that federal officers in military fatigues were detaining demonstrators and driving around in unmarked vehicles in the Oregon city. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are The Portland Mercury and individual reporters and others who say that they were attacked by police. The lawsuit also adds federal agencies to an existing complaint filed last month against local law enforcement in Portland.

    "Cowardly attacks on those who report police misconduct to the world have no place in a free society," said Matthew Borden, partner at Braun Hagey & Borden LLP.

    Portland has descended into chaos in the wake of the death of George Floyd, who died in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota back in May. Democrats have been siding with the protesters, slamming any attempt to shut the riots down.

    "DHS and DOJ are engaged in acts that are horrific and outrageous in our constitutional democratic republic," Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) said in a statement. "First, they are deploying paramilitary forces with no identification indicating who they are or who they work for. Second, these agents are snatching people off the street with no underlying justification. Both of these acts are profound offenses against Americans."

    "We demand not only that these acts end, but also that they remove their forces immediately from our state," he added. "Given the egregious nature of the violations against Oregonians, we are demanding full investigations by the Inspectors General of these departments."