Acting DHS Deputy Secretary reacts after Portland plagued by violent clashes, riots
Acting DHS Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli told 'Fox & Friends' about the Trump administration's strategy in combating domestic unrest
Those inciting unrest and violence in Portland are not peaceful protesters, acting Department of Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli said Friday.
In an interview on "Fox & Friends," Cuccinelli said that those attempting to create an autonomous zone in the Oregon metropolis are "criminals" and "looters" who are "seeking opportunities to destroy" and hurt law enforcement officials.
PORTLAND POLICE CLOSE PARKS, REMOVE BARRICADES TO AVOID REPEAT OF SEATTLE-STYLE AUTONOMOUS ZONE
"I talked to the head of the [police] union there earlier this week...Daryl Turner, and, he [and] his fellow officers are very frustrated at how people like Mayor Wheeler are tying their hands rather than letting them do their job. And, it's exactly that kind of encouragement to the mob that escalates the violence," he said. "It isn't advancing more responsible policing. It's…tying the hands of responsible police officers."
Gripped by violent demonstrations for weeks in the wake of the police-involved death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, local businesses have reported $23 million in losses due to looting and rioting that have gripped its downtown area, and rioters have been seen lighting mattresses on fire and setting off fireworks in the streets.
Police confront demonstrators as Black Lives Matter supporters demonstrate in Portland, Ore., on July 4, 2020 for the thirty-eighth day in a row. (Photo by John Rudoff/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Protesters also attempted to mimic Seattle's Capitol Hill Organized Protest zone by setting up tents in the park near the federal courthouse barricading streets. However, the efforts were thwarted on Thursday when city police temporarily closed the two parks and removed the encampments.
"Well, you know, from a DHS perspective, it includes things like advancing more police to places like Portland. And, that's exactly what we did there," Cuccinelli remarked.
The deputy secretary said part of the city's problem was that they did not immediately accept federal help. DHS officers started lining Portland streets early Thursday afternoon, even as local, state and federal leaders asked Homeland Security to pull its officers.
"And, you know, it’s interesting to say ‘Gee, we provoked violence’ when this has been going on longer than the rains for Noah’s Ark," he added. "This has been more than 40 days in a row in Portland."
Cuccinelli said Portland, like "a lot of other cities," just "hasn't gotten the memo" yet that "where responsible policing is advanced, violence recedes."
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He assured that President Trump is "determined" to do "what we can within our jurisdiction to help restore peace to these beleaguered cities."
"We are seeing the violent results. And, Donald Trump, the president of the United States, is determined to do what he can to push that down," Cuccinelli concluded. "We can't do it everywhere. But, he is determined to bring more peace across some of these violent cities."
Fox News' Danielle Wallace and Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
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