EDITORIAL: Trump is right to defend federal property in Portland

If you vandalize, attack or light a federal building on fire, you should expect to be arrested. Even in Portland.

Ten days ago, a report from Oregon Public Broadcasting accused federal law enforcement of using unmarked vehicles to grab protesters off the streets of Portland. Making the story seem even more outrageous was that the agents were wearing military-style uniforms.

That led to Democratic politicians playing a vulgar game of rhetorical one-upmanship at the expense of men and women in law enforcement. Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, called the agents a “paramilitary force.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi labeled them “stormtroopers.” House Majority Whip James Clyburn compared them to “Gestapo,” the police force of Nazi Germany.

Here’s a good rule of thumb: If you can condemn federal law enforcement agents without having to fear being shot or imprisoned, they aren’t the secret police.

To understand what the federal agents are doing and why they’re in Portland, you have to know what’s been going on. That city has experienced close to 60 straight days of civil unrest. Just like around the country, there were protests after the tragic death of George Floyd. On the Friday after Floyd’s death there was supposed to be peaceful protest. It soon turned into a riot. Criminals attacked a building, which contained a police precinct. They broke windows, spray-painted it and started a fire. Local police used riot control agents to disperse the crowd, which began to vandalize and ignite other parts of the city. Several police officers were injured, including one who was hit with a “thrown incendiary device.”

Incidents like this have continued for almost two months, in large part, because Portland’s political leadership has surrendered to the Antifa mob.

“It is time for our elected officials to stand up and defend Portland. Condemn the violence and the burning, looting, and destruction of property,” Daryl Turner, president of the Portland Police Association, wrote on July 6.

Instead, Portland’s political leadership capitulated. On Wednesday night, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler joined the rioters. City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty baselessly accused city police officers of setting fires to justify attacking protesters.

In the midst of this is a federal building, the Mark O. Hatfield Courthouse. Rioters want to burn it down. In early July, violent extremists firebombed it. A few days ago, they tried to barricade the building — with officers inside — and set it on fire. For weeks, they’ve broken windows, graffitied it and remove fencing that protects the building from rioters.

Normally, a local police force would stop this. But Portland political leaders aren’t interested. That means the federal government must either abandon its building or defend it themselves. President Donald Trump has wisely refused to give in and has sent federal agents to defend taxpayers’ property.

This explains why some federal agents are wearing military-style camouflage. Since President Trump doesn’t have a secret police force, he’s had to call in other agencies to assist. One of them is the Border Patrol Tactical Unit. Camouflage is its normal uniform. Officers wear a corresponding shoulder patch. Its officers are wearing identification numbers, instead of last names to keep Antifa from doxxing them.

There’s a good explanation for the unmarked cars too. As video shows, the rioters will sometimes swarm and attack agents who are making an arrest. This allows the rioters to pull the suspect back into the crowd. To avoid that, federal agents use unmarked cars when approaching those they suspect of committing federal crimes. Maintaining the element of surprise when making a high-risk arrest is hardly a new or sinister strategy. Nor is it an attempt to replicate the work of local police.

This doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be oversight. There should always be a check on governmental power. This is one reason that federal agents should wear body cameras, if they aren’t already. Those videos would protect both citizens from abuse and federal agents from false allegations. It would be logistically difficult to change out uniforms for what should be a temporary mission. If possible, however, BORTAC agents should wear a less military-looking uniform in urban environments.

Portland’s political leaders should find their collective backbone and stop the rioters. Until that happens and no matter how much Democrats dislike President Trump, protecting federal property shouldn’t be a partisan issue — or a reason to slime law enforcement agents.