WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th August, 2020) ASHINGTON, August 6 (Sputnik), Barrington M. Salmon - Peaceful protesters in New Mexico will not let US Federal agents or anarchists turn the state's largest city into a violent battleground, Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice (ACPJ) Executive Director Jim Harvey told Sputnik.
Thousands of protesters in the city of Albuquerque have been on the streets since George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, was killed by a Minneapolis police officer on May 25. Last month, President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of federal agents to 35 US cities - including Albuquerque - to quell surging violence.
"I'm not surprised that Trump chose our city [Albuquerque] because it's a very progressive city with a Democratic mayor who has been very critical of Trump," Harvey said. "It's about 20 groups who have been expressing our displeasure and letting him [Trump] know that we oppose any Portland-style occupation."
The Justice Department's "Operation Legend" has been strongly opposed by local officials, especially in light of recent violent clashes in Portland, Oregon between protesters and federal troops, which finally withdrew from the city on July 30-31.
However, on Thursday US authorities said a contingent of federal troops would remain in Portland until they can ensure courthouses and other facilities will no longer be attacked.
Harvey said they have been told more federal forces will be in Albuquerque within two to three weeks.
"A small advance group is already here working with [the] county sheriff who is no friend of ours. But I have to say that the Albuquerque PD [police department] has done a good job to protect," Harvey said.
Harvey, who has been involved in civil rights activism for 60 years, said ACPJ was not surprised by Trump's move.
"His pattern of behavior - his erratic behavior - with elections coming up and his trying to act like the 'Law and Order' president are the reasons I think he's doing this," he said.
The civil rights leader said they want to raise their voices while maintaining peace and are ready to ensure outside elements do not disrupt the demonstrations. Moreover, they hope to prevent the federal agents themselves from fueling violence, he added.
"We have sufficient numbers of our people in the marches to ensure that provocateurs don't kick anything off. We'll remove them. We can be very aggressive," Harvey said. "We've been in the street, held press conferences and organized marches and rallies to alert the public where we stand. We've been explaining what we think their motives will be. They will come trying to create chaos."
Red Nation, an indigenous group dedicated to the liberation of Native Americans from capitalism and colonialism, held a very large demonstration in front of a federal building last Friday, Harvey noted.
"But we stayed on our side of the street," Harvey said. "There were more than 1,000 people demonstrating. The federal marshals, they were frustrated, I'm sure. Then the New Mexico Black Movement had between 600-700 people on Sunday. I brought bottled water. Troops were in riot gear. We protested peacefully and did nothing to cause any confrontations."
Harvey said he is encouraged by the support of Albuquerque Mayor Tom Keller who has also made it clear that he does not want Trump's paramilitary force in the city. He said relations between residents and the police department have been fractious and marked by significant distrust.
Harvey said he and other protesters are making demands for the same reasons so many others in the country have raised their voices in protest: police brutality, the use of excessive force, and the targeting of African American and other non-white residents.
In 2014, the patterns and practice of the Albuquerque Police Department led to the Obama administration's Department of Justice to seek reforms through a consent decree.
"They have been overly aggressive, used excessive force, targeted Black and other non-white people," he said.
But sometimes, Harvey acknowledged, the officers have been very helpful.
"On Sunday, it started raining and an officer offered to open up the convention center across the street for us. That was unusual," he said.
� Harvey said he has been active in protests in the city for the last three months but ACPJ is also advocating for solutions such as Medicare for All, environmental justice and fighting racism in a much larger sense.
