Friend –

The right to protest is a fundamental human right guaranteed to us by our Constitution. Yet federal agents in Portland, ordered by the Trump administration, have been perpetrating violent, militarized attacks against Black Lives Matter protesters all summer.

People who are simply exercising their First Amendment rights to protest police violence and demand racial justice have been abducted in unmarked vans, beaten with batons, shot in the head with high-impact rounds, and more.

Now, President Trump has visited Kenosha to denounce protesters and praise law enforcement after Jacob Blake was shot seven times in the back by police officers. But the truth remains: These violent actions by federal law enforcement – and any law enforcement – are dangerous and profoundly unconstitutional. We are suing to defend Black lives and our democracy.

Last week, the ACLU of Oregon filed a lawsuit on behalf of protesters like Christopher David, a U.S. Navy veteran who was attacked and tear-gassed by federal agents. In a recorded video, you can see one agent hitting him with a baton as another tear-gassed him in the face. Read more on Mr. David's story and law enforcement abuses in Portland here.

Another client, Mark Pettibone, was abducted by unmarked federal officers while walking back from a protest demanding accountability for the murder of George Floyd. He says, "I still haven't fully come to terms with what it means that I was kidnapped by my government."

This lawsuit joins two others we filed on behalf of medics, journalists, and legal observers who were similarly attacked during these assaults on protests.

ACLU Supporter, there is absolutely no justification for federal agents to unleash violence and strip our freedoms as they have in response to calls for ending racist police brutality. Please read more on these critical developments and why we must hold law enforcement accountable now.

The ACLU will continue to fight for what is right in Portland, in Kenosha, and in any city where we are needed – and we're grateful to have you with us.

Thank you for being part of this fight,

Kelly Simon
ACLU of Oregon interim legal director, fighting for racial justice and free speech

P.S. In the midst of the unfolding events in Kenosha, Portland, and across our country, we cannot lose sight of what we are protesting for: the end of racialized police violence in America and the care for Black lives. Police brutality hasn't stopped in a pandemic, nor as millions protest for racial justice. It's clear we must keep fighting for serious change. Get the facts around police shootings and what we can do to stop them in our latest report.