WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Friday released the following statement on reports of unidentified law enforcement in Oregon: 

“Reports that unidentified law enforcements are using unmarked vehicles to grab protestors off the streets of Portland are sickening. Peaceful protestors are not the enemy, and America is not a battleground. The American people have a right to know who is patrolling their streets. Without identification, there can be no accountability when something goes wrong, and there is no way for citizens to tell the difference between real and fake law enforcement. Leader Schumer and I have legislation that requires all federal law enforcement officers and members of the Armed Forces who are policing protests to clearly identify themselves and their services or agencies, including their last name and badge number. I hope Republicans see such reports as a direct threat to our democracy and will include our legislation in the NDAA package,” said Murphy. 

In June, Murphy and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer announced legislation requiring unidentified law enforcement officers and members of the Armed Forces to clearly identify themselves and their agency or service while they are engaged in crowd control or arresting individuals involved in civil disobedience or protests in the United States.

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