Mayor: "We will not allow tyranny in Chicago"

It has been just over two weeks since Donald Trump called federal police to Portland in the state of Oregon to curb unrest in connection with demonstrations against police violence in the city, which SVT News previously reported on.

The decision has met with sharp criticism. The city's Democratic mayor, Ted Wheeler, says federal police have escalated violence and are demanding that Trump withdraw his forces.

"I think not only is he breaking the law, he's risking the lives of Portlanders," Wheeler wrote on Twitter.

Democrat Speaker Nancy Pelosi has also criticized Trump, accusing federal police of abusing power and "kidnapping" protesters.

But despite opposition, Donald Trump, who in June named himself "president of law and order," is not prepared to back down. During a press conference in the White House on Monday, the president defended the efforts of the federal police against the protesters in Portland.

- They take care of many of these people and put the leaders in custody. They are anarchists, says Donald Trump, according to Reuters.

Similar protests against police brutality have been going on in cities around the United States since the death of African-American George Floyd in connection with a police intervention on May 25. Trump now plans to call in federal police to New York, Chicago and Detroit, among others, which he believes are controlled by "liberal Democrats". According to the Chicago Tribune, 150 federal police officers can be deployed in the city as early as this week.

- We're deploying police officers. We can not let this continue, says Trump.

The statement has led to strong reactions. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot warns the president to send in the forces.

- We will not allow tyranny in Chicago, she says.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio also condemns Trump's plans.

"We have seen the chaos created by the secret police in Portland. We will not allow that to happen here ", he writes on Twitter.