Portland protests: Federal agents fire tear gas as unrest continues

Federal agents fired tear gas canisters at Black Lives Matter protesters in downtown Portland early Saturday in the 57th straight day of anti-racism demonstrations, amid growing scrutiny over the use of federal agents in the city.

Security forces have frequently tear-gassed and clubbed demonstrators during the unrest. The U.S. Justice Department said it would investigate the use of force by federal agents in Portland.

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has said it is sending a similar contingent to Seattle and Chicago.

Demonstrators and local officials see the deployment of the agents in Portland as a ploy by Trump to drum up a "law and order" campaign as he faces an uphill re-election battle.

Mayor Ted Wheeler has called the intervention an abuse of federal power and said it was escalating the violence.

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