AP PHOTOS: Facing federal agents, Portland protests swell
Hundreds of Black Lives Matter protesters hold their lighted phones aloft in Portland, Ore., on July 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
EDS NOTE: OBSCENITY ON WALL - Federal officers use chemical irritants and crowd control munitions to disperse Black Lives Matter protesters outside the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse on July 22, 2020, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
A Black Lives Matter protester burns a sign outside the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse on July 21, 2020, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Black Lives Matter protesters try to extinguish a fire set by fellow protesters at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse on July 22, 2020, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
A protester kicks in temporary boarding at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland, Ore. on July 19, 2020, Federal officers emerged from the building and used teargas and crowd control munitions to disperse the crowd. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Federal agents use crowd control munitions to disperse Black Lives Matter protesters at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland, Ore. on July 19, 2020. Officers used teargas and projectiles to move the crowd after some protesters tore down a fence fronting the courthouse. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Federal officers use crowd control munitions to disperse Black Lives Matter protesters outside the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland, Ore. on July 21, 2020. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Federal officers disperse Black Lives Matter protesters outside the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland, Ore. on July 22, 2020. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
KaCe Freeman chants during a Black Lives Matter protest outside the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland, Ore. on July 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Federal officers use crowd control munitions to disperse Black Lives Matter protesters outside the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland, Ore. July 21, 2020. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Romeo Ceasar holds a sign during a Black Lives Matter protest in Portland, Ore. July 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Federal agents use crowd control munitions to disperse Black Lives Matter protesters at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland, Ore. on July 20, 2020. Officers used teargas and projectiles to move the crowd after some protesters tore down a fence fronting the courthouse. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Norma Lewis holds a flower while forming a "wall of moms" during a Black Lives Matter protest in Portland, Ore. on July 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Federal agents use crowd control munitions to disperse Black Lives Matter protesters near the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland, Ore. on July 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
A Black Lives Matter protester carries a shield while facing off against federal officers at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland, Ore. on July 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
A Black Lives Matter protester rallies with others outside the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland, Ore. on July 19, 2020. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
A Black Lives Matter protester burns an American flag outside the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse on Monday, July 20, 2020, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
A Black Lives Matter protester carries an American flag as teargas fills the air outside the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland, Ore. on July 21, 2020. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Night after night for nearly two months, protesters have taken to the streets of Portland, Oregon, for demonstrations against racial injustice that have devolved into vandalism and clashes with authorities.
Long after such unrest subsided in other cities, small groups of protesters in Portland continued to set fires, spray graffiti on public buildings and battle officers.
The continued conflict prompted soul-searching in the progressive city, which became increasingly polarized over how to handle it.
More recently, the Trump administration’s decision to call in federal agents to help protect the federal courthouse — the focus of much protest activity — has galvanized many in Portland anew. Protests have again swelled and attracted a broader base in a city that’s increasingly unified and outraged about the use of federal officers.
The clashes have continued, with some protesters trying to break into the courthouse, while authorities respond with tear gas and projectiles.
But also prominent in the new crowds are groups like the Wall of Moms and PDX Dad Pod, self-described parents who have shown up by the hundreds each night since the weekend, wearing yellow T-shirts and bicycle helmets and ski goggles for protection.
