As nightly confrontations between protesters and federal agents continue in Portland, some black leaders are warning that the Black Lives Matter movement is being co-opted by white activists with other agendas. Teal Lindseth, a 21-year-old African American activist, noted the lack of diversity among the crowds, saying: “I look at this crowd and I don’t see many black people.”
Portland, often described as the whitest large city in the US, has a history of racism, including a constitution that once barred African Americans. Today’s protests, which have run for nearly 60 days, aim to address racial injustice, but some question whether the focus on confrontations with federal officers serves black interests.
ED Mondainé, president of the Portland NAACP, accused “privileged white people” of co-opting the movement. He said the clashes with federal agents sent by President Donald Trump are a “spectacle and a distraction” that do nothing for black equality. Mondainé alleged that some white protesters are using the campaign to provoke fights for anti-capitalist or other causes.
Trump’s deployment of a Department of Homeland Security taskforce, which snatched protesters in unmarked vans and used force, reinvigorated the demonstrations. Critics say the president is stoking unrest for political advantage. Mayors of 14 cities, including Chicago and Los Angeles, wrote to the administration condemning the “paramilitary-type” tactics as undemocratic.
Mondainé led a rally on Thursday to refocus attention on Black Lives Matter, warning that “empty battles” were serving Trump’s agenda. The tensions highlight a struggle over the direction of the protests in a city with a deep racial divide.
