A left-wing activist tried to fire off what appeared to be a bottle rocket in the apparent direction of the federal courthouse in Portland on Friday nigh,t and it ignited in his face as he held onto it.
Journalist Drew Hernandez captured the incident and posted a video of it on Twitter.
WATCH:
FAIL: ANTIFA THUG GETS OWNED BY HIS OWN EXPLOSIVE pic.twitter.com/E3q7J1bHl3
— Drew Hernandez (@livesmattershow) August 1, 2020
The violence in Portland came as President Donald Trump announced late on Friday night that federal officers were not leaving the courthouse, which has been under violent attack for weeks, until safety was ensured.
Trump tweeted, “Homeland Security is not leaving Portland until local police complete cleanup of Anarchists and Agitators!”
Homeland Security is not leaving Portland until local police complete cleanup of Anarchists and Agitators!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2020
Trump’s tweet follows Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf announcing earlier that federal officials had reached a new deal with local leaders to secure the courthouse. In a statement, Wolf said:
Over the past 24 hours, Governor Brown and I have been in regular communication and have agreed to a joint plan to end the violent activity in Portland directed at federal properties and law enforcement officers. That plan includes a robust presence of Oregon State Police in downtown Portland. State and local law enforcement will begin securing properties and streets, especially those surrounding federal properties, that have been under nightly attack for the past two months. Oregon State Police will coordinate with Federal Protective Service (FPS) officers to ensure all federal facilities remain protected and secure.
This plan is possible due to the valiant efforts of the DHS law enforcement officers protecting federal property in Portland from violent activity for the past two months.
The Department will continue to maintain our current, augmented federal law enforcement personnel in Portland until we are assured that the Hatfield Federal Courthouse and other federal properties will no longer be attacked and that the seat of justice in Portland will remain secure. This has been our mission and objective since the violent, criminal activity began.
The Department will continue to re-evaluate our security posture in Portland, and should circumstances on the ground significantly improve due to the influx of state and local law enforcement, we anticipate the ability to change our force posture, as we do everyday at our other 9,000 federal properties we protect across the country.
President Trump and this Administration have been consistent in our message throughout the violence in Portland: the violent criminal activity directed towards federal properties and law enforcement will not be tolerated, state and local leaders must step forward and police their communities, and the Department of Homeland Security will not back down from our legal duty to protect federal law enforcement officers and federal properties in the face of such criminal behavior.
President Trump has also made clear that this Administration is ready and willing to partner with state and local law enforcement to protect every American – and you see that commitment in Portland with this plan. The Department and this Administration will also continue to fulfill its solemn obligation to uphold federal law across the country.
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