America is at a crossroads between a well-functioning democracy, where protest and the press are embraced and celebrated, and an authoritarian regime where that is not the case. That’s the opinion of a federal judge who’s trying to give democracy a push in a healthy direction by banning the use of chemical munitions here at the ICE facility in downtown Portland.
Tim Dickinson was part of a crowd of thousands of people, including children and the elderly, who were tear gassed for no reason by ICE agents this weekend.
The problem here has been ongoing since the summer. A school down the street had to shut down because there was so much green gas and chemical irritants flooding their playground. The judge found that the protesters here are suffering a First Amendment chill. The lawsuit describes an 84 year old who was hit in the head with a chemical impact munition.
The lawsuit was brought by one of Portland’s characters, the Portland Chicken ( aka Jack Dickinson, no relation to Tim).
The judge described persistent, excessive and targeted violence of journalists and protesters.
Restraining orders are imperfect. A similar measure in Chicago blunted the impact of ICE brutality, but didn’t eliminate it entirely. But for now, protesters here are breathing a little easier, feeling a little safer about coming and giving ICE a piece of their mind.
