This is an unfortunate illustration of why the outbreak of statuephobia was a tactical error. It had the effect of provoking an expanded police state response from the feds who have since murdered a protestor in Portland. Additionally, it is likely to push the cultural right (which has a powerful strand of anti-fed sentiment) toward greater sympathy for the feds. Think tactically, folks.
Al-Jazeera
Protesters who have clashed with authorities in the Pacific Northwest are not just confronting local police.
Some are also facing off against federal officers whose presence reflects President Donald Trump’s decision to make cracking down on “violent mayhem” a federal priority.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has deployed officers in tactical gear from around the country, and from more than half a dozen federal law enforcement agencies and departments, to Portland, Oregon, as part of a surge aimed at what a senior official said were people taking advantage of demonstrations over the police killing of George Floyd to commit violence and vandalism.
