Portland: Federal Agents Shot Two, Media Discovers 'Tensions'
Al Jazeera dutifully reports that two individuals were wounded in a shooting involving US federal agents in Portland, noting 'Portland police have urged calm as the shooting remains under investigation, amid heightened tensions over ICE actions.' ('Tensions' being a euphemism for federal agents routinely clashing with citizens during protests, apparently.) This framing conveniently sidesteps the
documented history, particularly in 2020, when the Trump administration deployed unidentified federal agents to Portland, who abducted protesters in unmarked vans and used excessive force, sparking widespread outrage and lawsuits from the ACLU. So, when 'amid heightened tensions over ICE actions' is trotted out, one might wonder if these 'tensions' are a spontaneous meteorological event or a
direct consequence of federal agencies acting with historical impunity. Perhaps Al Jazeera's Baghdad bureau will eventually discover that 'heightened tensions' often follow unprovoked federal aggression and a distinct lack of accountability. One would think a news outlet with 'Middle East' in its masthead might quickly recognize state-sanctioned violence against a populace.