Anti-racism protesters have repeatedly clashed with federal officers in the US city of Portland, Oregon in recent days. They have continued nightly protests ever since the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police in May.

The Guardians Chris McGreal is in Portland and tells Anushka Asthana that to understand what is happening in the city you have to look back at Oregons history and at the politics of the present. Portland is one of the least diverse cities in the US and has a history of segregation and racially divisive policies. But it is also home to thousands of young people incensed by racial inequality and the politics of Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, in the White House, Trump is eyeing the worsening election polls and is desperate to live up to his claim of being a law and order president. As he sanctions the highly unusual deployment of federal troops to the Democrat-run city against the wishes of its mayor, protesters in other cities are taking to their own streets in solidarity.

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Is Donald Trump playing politics with the Portland protests? - The Guardian