FILE PHOTO: Oregon Governor Kate Brown speaks at the state capital building in Salem, Oregon, February 20, 2015. REUTERS/Steve Dipaola (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Federal troops will begin a phased withdrawal from downtown Portland, ceding some security functions to Oregon state troopers and local law enforcement after two months of protests, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Oregon Governor Kate Brown said on Wednesday.
Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said he and Brown agreed to a plan after talks over the last 24 hours.
“That plan includes a robust presence of Oregon State Police in downtown Portland,” he said in a statement. “State and local law enforcement will begin securing properties and streets, especially those surrounding federal properties, that have been under nightly attack for the past two months.”
(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Edited by Lisa Lambert)
