Portland Official Charging Feds a Fee for Each Day the Fence Protecting the Courthouse Remains Up

Julio Rosas | August 03, 2020 12:50 PM

The Portland commissioner for the city's Bureau of Transportation announced last week she will be charging the United States government a fee for each day the fence that has been put up around the Hatfield Federal Courthouse to prevent rioters from breaking inside.

Chloe Eudaly, who described the deployment of federal officers to protect the courthouse as an "occupation," said she was charging the federal government "$500 for every 15 minutes the fence obstructs our street." She said she was concerned for city workers' safety to remove the fence.

According to Eudaly, the federal government owes the city of Portland over $192,000 as of last week, "We intend to collect."

On Thursday, I directed @PBOTinfo to enforce on the federal occupiers for erecting a fence in our public right of way. PBOT filed a cease and desist demand on behalf of the City—we have not received a response.
— Commissioner Eudaly (@ChloeEudalyPDX) July 28, 2020

Yes, I am afraid to direct workers to do their job and enforce our laws against the federal government—I hope that gives everyone reading this pause.

As of yesterday, the federal government owes us $192,000 and counting. We intend to collect.
— Commissioner Eudaly (@ChloeEudalyPDX) July 28, 2020

"I know how challenging this is for Portlanders. I am committed to doing everything in my power to end this federal occupation and move forward with our community's reckoning with racial injustice and our efforts to transform our approach to policing and public safety," she added. "Indiscriminately tear-gassing and firing impact munitions at thousands of peaceful protesters is not a proportionate response."

The fence was put up to put distance between rioters and the courthouse. After multiple attempts by the crowd to tear down the fence, the security at the building worked overtime to make the fence extremely hard to be torn down. Despite the obstruction, rioters continued to throw projectiles and fireworks, along with starting fires within the perimeter.