ONA vigil and ICE protest at Eugene’s federal building turns into fleeing from flashbangs and pepper balls
By Agostinho Da Silva and Kat Tabor
An Ice Out protest escalated into a chaotic scene as demonstrators attempted to flee flash bangs and tear gas Tuesday, Jan. 27, outside the Federal Building at Seventh Avenue and Pearl Street in Eugene. A Torch reporter was among the journalists, protesters and bystanders hit with pepper spray.
Tensions were already high around 5 pm Tuesday as the Oregon Nurses Association held a vigil in honor of ICU nurse Alex Pretti who was killed by federal officers Jan 24 at an ICE protest.
Department of Homeland Security officers pepper sprayed interfaith singers around noon and detained around six peaceful protesters throughout the afternoon. Notably, DHS never made any demands or ordered anyone off the property, they just ran out of the Federal Building and targeted those with megaphones leading chants.
At one point, a lawyer for one of the detained had to wait outside the door for over 20 minutes before they allowed her to enter and speak with her client.
While some chants got rowdy, the crowd remained fully peaceful throughout the afternoon, even as DHS and their Special Response Team (SRT) exited the building and escalated tensions by shooting pepperballs and pointing M40 grenade launchers and tasers towards the crowd.
Around 6:14 pm federal agents played a message announcing the plaza was closed and played it again an hour later, before rushing out of the building at protesters and journalists alike.
Despite repeatedly shouting he is press, Torch staff member Agostinho Da Silva was struck by six pepper balls fired by the Department of Homeland Security officials.
“I was backing up with the rest of the press gaggle, retreating after agents exited the building with flashbangs and firing indiscriminately at protesters. At one point, the agents turned their attention towards us, so I held my press pass up and yelled, ‘Press, I’m press,’ and that’s when one agent pointed his gun directly at my center mass and started firing at me.”
More information to come as this story develops.
