The FBI defended its actions in ongoing confrontations between federal agents and demonstrators in Portland, Ore., claiming federal law enforcement was focusing only on people committing violence and damaging federal property.

Iran PressAmerica: Federal law enforcement, which was deployed by the Department of Homeland Security, has said it is protecting federal property, such as the federal courthouse in downtown Portland. 

According to the Hill, Renn Cannon, special agent in charge of Portland’s FBI field office, said in a statement Friday that the bureau is investigating “specific violations of federal law, including arson, the use of improvised explosive devices, and interstate transportation of stolen goods.”

Donald Trump and other conservative lawmakers have advocated for a more assertive approach to quelling protests. Democrats have called for probes into the administration's use of federal law enforcement in Portland and in other cities since Floyd's death.

Cannon stressed that the FBI does not align itself with ideology of a particular group and is concerned only with addressing violence and crime.

“Our focus is not on membership in particular groups but on individuals who commit violence and criminal activity that constitutes a federal crime or poses a threat to national security,” Cannon said. “The FBI does not and will not police ideology.”

Various US cities, including Portland, have been the scene of demonstrations since May 25 against the racist behavior of the police.

On Monday, May 25, a white US police officer killed George Floyd, a black American citizen in Minneapolis, Minnesota

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