[kevingadd]

If all these "rioters" are trying to burn the courthouse down, why didn't it burn down before the armed feds showed up and started hitting people with gas? The protests have been ongoing for quite a while, the feds are a comparatively new presence.

[ehvatum]

Note that Portland Police deployed CS gas against protesters attempting to set fire to the courthouse on May 30th. That night, Portland Police arrested 51 people.

[bendbro]

The rioters had begun vandalizing, looting, breaking in and setting fire to buildings directly adjacent to the federal courthouse before federal agents arrived to protect the courthouse. Active defense of the courthouse seems justified, and more than that, it is legal.

May 31st: Looting and fire at Justice Center, adjacent to federal courthouse: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/police/news/read.cfm?id=25081...

June 27th: Some feds arrive in response: https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2020/07/evidence-shows-portl...