Protests in Portland and other US cities continue, as Trump answers with ‘surge of federal agents’

US President Donald Trump said he is sending hundreds of extra federal agents to help “drive down violent crime” in cities across the country. Trump’s announcement on July 22, 2020, comes amid ongoing protests in Portland, Oregon, where the presence of federal agents has been blamed for increased tensions. Portland has seen 54 consecutive nights of demonstrations against racism and police brutality triggered by the May 25 death in Minneapolis of African-American George Floyd. Occasional violence at the nightly protests has been met by Department of Homeland Security agents using tear gas, rubber bullets and flashbang devices. Portland mayor Ted Wheeler and Oregon state governor Kate Brown have called for the militarised federal forces to leave.