US militarised officers will remain in Portland until attacks on a federal courthouse cease, a top official said Monday after another night of violence. And more officers may soon be on the way.
"It is not a solution to tell federal officers to leave when there continues to be attacks on federal property and personnel," US Attorney Billy Williams said.
"We are not leaving the building unprotected to be destroyed by people intent on doing so."
Meanwhile, the mayors of Portland and five other major US cities appealed Monday to Congress to make it illegal for the federal government to deploy militarized agents to cities that don't want them.
"This administration's egregious use of federal force on cities over the objections of local authorities should never happen," the mayors of Portland, Seattle, Chicago, Kansas City, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Washington wrote to leaders of the US House and Senate.
