Friends of the Earth condemns Trump’s authoritarian crackdown
WASHINGTON – Trump announced today a plan to send more federal forces into American cities as a part of “Operation Legend.”
Liz Butler, Vice President of Organizing and Strategic Alliances at Friends of the Earth, issued the following statement in response:
Friends of the Earth condemns Trump’s authoritarian crackdown in Portland, where unaccountable federal forces are deliberately escalating the situation to justify violence against protesters. It is disturbing to see Trump deploy the brutal tactics of dictators he has publicly praised to stomp out opposition here in the U.S.
Horrifyingly, Trump has stated that his action in Portland is part of a deliberate plan to expand state-sponsored violence in cities across the country. Trump named a number of additional cities he intends to deploy unaccountable federal forces to shortly as a part of “Operation Legend.” This escalation of tactics, targeted at Black Lives Matter protestors, should raise deep concerns for environmental and climate activists and anyone committed to our democratic institutions.
There is cause for hope. Instead of being intimidated, people from across the region, including thousands of moms, have flooded the streets of Portland to defend the right to protest. We will need heroes like this in the coming months to defend our democracy.
The right to protest is fundamental to our efforts and our democracy. We must collectively condemn these violent tactics.
Contact: Erin Jensen, (202) 222-0722, [email protected]