ACLU condemns Portland police actions at protest

The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon says Portland police officers used “shameful” tactics to control a downtown protest.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports (http://bit.ly/2lqU5EE ) that Portland police arrested seven adults and cited six juveniles during Monday’s protest, which was called “Not My Presidents Day.” Among those arrested or cited were a 66-year-old woman and a 14-year-old boy.

Police say they also a limited amount of pepper spray and that officers fired non-lethal shots.

Police spokesman Sgt. Pete Simpson says the response was necessary to keep unruly protesters in check.

The ACLU condemned the actions in a series of seven tweets, saying the “indiscriminate violence against Portlanders was shameful.” The nonprofit called on Mayor Ted Wheeler to revise crowd-control strategies.