By Matt Underwood Federal agents use tear gas on Portland ‘ICE Out’ protesters, including children, and the sheer audacity of it all is difficult to process. It’s hard to fathom who the real threat is when the government seemingly pivots from protecting its citizens to attacking them. The reports paint a disturbing picture of federal agents deploying tear gas on a crowd that included families, union members, children, and even pets. The fact that this was a peaceful demonstration, occurring at 5 p.m., is a critical detail. This wasn’t some late-night clash; this was an event where the presence of children and the elderly was expected, making the use of chemical munitions even more reprehensible.
This sort of action isn’t just about restoring order; it’s about chilling dissent. The goal seems to be to make protesting so uncomfortable, so costly, that people simply stop showing up. The normalization of gassing peaceful protesters, regardless of their age or presence of children, is a dangerous path. The fact that tear gas, a weapon considered unacceptable for use on a battlefield by the Geneva Conventions, was deployed on civilians, including children, is appalling. It raises serious questions about the actions of these agents and those who authorized such a response.
The question of why children were present at this protest immediately arises, and there’s a strong sentiment that protests of this nature, given the potential for volatility, aren’t appropriate places for children. The use of tear gas, flashbangs, and the potential for greater violence raises obvious safety concerns. While the right to protest is enshrined, the potential risks of bringing children to a potentially volatile demonstration need to be seriously considered. Regardless of political views, the safety of children should be paramount.
The timing and context of these actions are important too. The event seems to have been a memorial march that then devolved into a situation where federal agents felt the need to use violence. A witness mentioned being a block away from the front of the march with a union group, and the confusion as the tear gas dispersed speaks to the chaos that ensued. The image of a young girl on a balcony with a hand-drawn sign, moments before the tear gas was deployed, is a particularly poignant image of the situation. It’s a snapshot of the potential innocence and hope, that was swiftly met with aggression.
The sentiment that the federal government is acting like an occupying force is a common one. There’s a deep sense of anger and frustration, compounded by the feeling that those in power are not just failing to protect citizens, but actively working against them. The militarization of law enforcement and the apparent impunity with which some agents operate fuels the outrage. Many are calling for accountability, for legal repercussions, and for a complete shift in how the government interacts with its citizens. This situation underscores the urgency of addressing these issues to prevent further erosion of trust and safeguard the rights of the people.