Anti-racism protesters and security forces clash in Portland

Washington, Jul 27 (efe-epa).- Anti-racism protesters and security forces clashed in the early hours of Monday morning in Portland, Oregon, after a weekend of demonstrations across the United States.

The march in Portland began peacefully on Sunday evening, according to police, and was primarily directed against federal officers dispatched in the city by President Donald Trump.

Trump previously said he was willing to send some 75,000 federal agents to Democrat-run cities to stem violence on the streets.

Shortly before midnight, a group of protesters tried to dismantle a fence around the city’s courthouse with police responding by firing tear gas into the crowd.

Rallies erupted nationwide on Saturday night in solidarity with demonstrators in Portland.

Protests that until three weeks ago focused on racism have now escalated in opposition to the use of federal forces.

Black Lives Matter demonstrations have gripped the US since the killing of George Floyd on 25 May and have been compounded by federal intervention in response.

Dozens of people were arrested over the weekend in Seattle, Washington, in clashes with police that left 59 officers injured after they were pelted with stones, bottles and fireworks, according to US authorities.

Rallies were also staged in Oakland, California, in solidarity with those in Portland on Saturday.

The event started peacefully but later on militant groups launched projectiles at security forces and authorities declared the demonstration illegal.