Portland

What the heck is going on in Portland?    I watch various news sources and I still feel like I’m unsure of the whole picture there.

Let me see if I can sort it out, and if I have some of it right.

Protests started in Portland, as they did around the country, when the Black Lives Matter movement started speaking up and marching after George Floyd’s death.   Yes, there was some violence.  It was bad.

Then, an area of downtown Portland was ‘taken over’ by protestors because they wanted to make statements, and to live without police threatening them, and they tried to be peaceful – and they were for a while.   Portland’s mayor decided to let them stay, hoping that those there would get tired of the situation.  “Let them do their thing.”   Yet merchants on those blocks were upset.  Traffic was redirected.

Unfortunately, horribly, there was a killing inside the cordoned off area.  City leaders and the police were feeling pressure to ‘do something..’

In the meantime, other peaceful protests continued in the city.     Out of nowhere, military looking forces showed up and started grabbing protestors and putting them into unmarked vans, driving them away from the area.  They were not looters.  They were not being violent.   I’m not sure what happened with them all.  I know some (all?) were released.     These non-descript, unmarked, military police were sent in to Portland by our president.   He has taken credit for them.  He is now considering doing the same with protestors in other cities.

Women (moms, grandmas, suburbanites, and more) have joined together to make human lines to protect the peaceful protestors.    These women were tear gassed.

How am I doing?   Do I have the facts?    Can someone tell me if this is what is happening??

So – the big issues are 1. The right to peaceful protest.  2. What happens when protests take over areas (remember the ‘sit ins’ in the 60’s?) 3. How much power do mayors have in these situations?   Can the president over-ride the decisions made by the mayor?   4.  Who are these unidentified police? Where did they come from?    My understanding Is they are not from state units of the National Guard.  5. When can teargas be used on peaceful protests?

Are we on our way to a secret police group that can swoosh in and take over?

This is a big issue.  It reeks pretty bad if it is.   Other countries that do this are not democracies, led by the people, for the people.  So…   This is scary stuff.    Has Congress addressed  it – and can they stop the president from making decisions on where to send the secret police?

We are trying to promote the Black Lives Matter movement, and I feel like this is stamping it down.  It is muddying  the water when it comes to who is involved, and what rights they have – and what is being violated.

Seriously, can someone tell me what is happening in Portland?