FBI Warns of Possible US Election Violence in Portland

The liberal enclave in the state of Oregon is still reeling from a summer that saw mass anti-racism rallies inflamed by the arrival of federal officers and right-wing militias, including the so-called Proud Boys. Tuesday's fiercely polarized vote - which could see US President Donald Trump reelected, or defeated by his Democratic rival Joe Biden - has spurred fears of more deadly street violence. Downtown businesses were boarding up windows once again as protests are planned for either a Trump or a Biden win - or a state of limbo, with delays in the vote-counting expected nationwide due to a surge in mail-in voting during the pandemic. "The thing that is the most concerning to me is the potential for armed clashes between opposing groups," FBI Portland Special Agent Renn Cannon told AFP. "That could escalate into a dangerous situation where - if tempers are heated - you could end up with an unfortunate or tragic act of violence," he added, pointing to a deadly shooting of a far-right supporter in the city in August. The 250-strong Portland office has devoted additional resources to election crimes including voter suppression as well as fraud and foreign cyber threats, said Cannon. Meanwhile Governor Kate Brown on Monday issued an executive order handing Portland policing to state forces - effectively overruling the city's ban on tear gas - and putting the National Guard on standby. "This is an election like no other in our lifetime," she warned. Brown's warnings about white supremacists have drawn scorn from local conservatives including talk-radio host Lars Larson, who on Monday accused her of "deafening silence" about "Antifa and Black Lives Matter violence" over five months of protests. But while Oregon is a safe Democratic state, Portland's Republican hinterland has made it a focus for protests from all ideologies, with further demonstrators flying in from across the country this summer. FBI agents are being "extra attentive" to any threats that could "reduce the ability for people to exercise their first amendment rights or exercise the right to vote," said Cannon. Officials' fears of renewed violence were echoed by voters Monday, including restaurant cook Leigh Smith.

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