A Homeland Security report linked a Trump election protest to “domestic terrorist violence” occurring across the country. The protest resulted in damage to stores in Portland’s Pearl District. (The Oregonian, March 2, 2017, by Eder Campuzano with contributions by Jim Ryan and Samantha Matsumoto)
The ACLU sees a danger in labeling the protest that only resulted in property damage a riot since the riot label led to characterizing the action “domestic terrorists” and the protesters “domestic terrorists.” They fear such labels will lead to the jailing of peaceful protesters for so-called terrorist activity. (American Civil Liberties Union, March 10, 2017, by Mat dos Santos)
Since the election protests 18 states have proposed laws to crack down on protests including one proposal to provide legal protection to drivers hitting protesters with their cars. Some observers fear that the trend to criminalize dissent will continue under the Trump presidency. (The Intercept, March 2, 2017, by Ryan Devereaux)