President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would send federal troops to Portland drew crowds of protesters and onlookers to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility Saturday night.
But the overall tenor of the evening differed sharply from the president’s depiction of Portland as “war-ravaged.”
As of 11:00 p.m., the only physically aggressive action came from federal agents, who emerged from the ICE building, arrested one person and deployed pepper-ball projectiles at others.
The size of the crowd fluctuated, jumping to about 100 people before dropping to about 70, as at least one helicopter circled above.
Handfuls of journalists and legal observers added to the mix, and nearby residents came out just to watch.
Kevin Cox, 53, moved to a South Waterfront apartment two years ago and said he began to feel the effects of the anti-ICE protests when chemical munitions leaked into his unit.
“It was my wife especially,” Cox said. “She has asthma so she could definitely notice it more.”
Apartment managers encouraged residents to close their windows.
Cox said he supported the protests and called Trump’s declaration to send troops “ridiculous.”
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