Federal agents fired tear gas canisters and flashbangs early Wednesday morning to disperse hundreds of Black Lives Matter protesters who had converged outside the federal courthouse in downtown Portland for the 63rd consecutive day to demonstrate against racial inequality and police violence.

U.S. President Donald Trump has sought to project a law-and-order stance as he seeks re-election on November 3, targeting cities controlled by Democrats who he says are soft on criminals. Critics have said the administration is seeking to divert attention from its widely criticized response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Federal officers and members of the crowd have faced off nightly Portland's downtown area. Many days, a fence has stood in front of the federal courthouse in an effort to keep protesters at bay, which some demonstrators have tried to tear down.

Federal agents dispatched to Portland have drawn national attention for whisking away demonstrators in unmarked cars, beating a U.S. Navy veteran and tear-gassing activist mothers and the city's mayor.

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