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ACLU suing Trump over crackdown on Portland protests

Wednesday, 26 August 2020 11:52 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 27 August 2020 7:32 AM ]

US President Donald Trump gestures as US First Lady Melania Trump waves to guests at the conclusion of the third night of the Republican National Convention at Fort McHenry National Monument in Baltimore, Maryland, August 26, 2020. (By AFP)

US President Donald Trump's administration has been sued over crackdown on the Black Lives Matter protests in Portland, Oregon.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said Wednesday that it was suing the administration due to its attempt to "silence a movement."

According to Kelly Simon, interim legal director of the ACLU of Oregon, Trump and his team "attempted to silence a movement that dares to realize the American dream of a nation where everyone, not just white people, can live free.”

US police declare 'riot' as protesters, officers clash in Portland

The Portland Police declare

“This lawsuit seeks to hold the Trump administration accountable for its dangerous and profoundly unconstitutional actions in Portland. Black lives matter,” Simon said in his statement.

The lawsuit cites a plaintiff who was kidnapped by military officers as he was walking through downtown Portland.

“I still haven’t fully come to terms with what it means that I was kidnapped by my government,” Pettibone said in a statement. “People need to know what happened to me and the government needs to be held accountable so that what happened to me doesn’t happen to someone else.”

Police declare riot as Portland protesters set fires, attack government building

Protesters lit fires, threw rocks and smashed windows at county government offices in the US city of Portland early Wednesday.

The United States has been gripped with protests seeking an end to racial inequality and police brutality amid high-profile cases of African Americans being victimized by officers.

The demonstrators keep clashing with federal agents, drawing national attention, as authorities blast marchers with tear gas.

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