From Eugene Police Skinner:
"This year’s Martin Luther King Jr day observance will look and feel different than in years past, and it should. Last year we experienced a nationwide and local awakening. It was the start of a reckoning and a ground-sweeping movement toward social justice and ending racism. This is a year of opportunity to make change happen and to move forward with potent awareness of the investments we can make as individuals, police department, and government. There are things that should have been done years ago to ensure everyone’s lives were better and to be more inclusive of those who have been marginalized. There is more support for this now than in any time I can remember. Our City and our police department have collectively condemned hate, racism and white supremacy. We are actively working with our community to review and reform local policies and practices to ensure civil and human rights to all individuals. We are in agreement and alignment with this important work and the men and women of the Eugene Police Department will be held to the highest standards of moral and ethical character without compromise.
There is community tension and anxiety after we all watched, in devastation and alarm, the events that unfolded at the nation’s capitol on January 6. This was an invasion of our collective house and an affront to our national government and constitution. On Monday, January 11, the Federal Bureau of Investigation sent information out regarding the potential for armed protests that could occur at state and federal sites prior to the presidential inauguration day on January 20. The Eugene Police department is committed to looking at pending events and connecting our intelligence with protest organizers so we can provide an atmosphere of safety and security for everyone. I have personally been in contact with our local Supervisory Special Agent of the FBI to identify any potential threats to our Eugene Community. In addition, we continue to work closely with federal resources to follow up on any community tips that suggest any organized effort to undermine our safety.
We are absolutely committed to being an apolitical organization. When we staff a protest or gathering where people exercise their constitutional right to free speech, we will focus specifically on the behavior that is occurring. If it is criminal behavior and would pose a safety issue, we are going to insert ourselves. We take a victim-centered approach, and do our very best with the information we have at the time, to serve that victim whether it be an individual, group, business or this community. The Eugene Police Department is going to be prepared to protect this community. Promises made, promises kept.
Finally, MLK Jr day is not a day off. It is a day for all of us to be present and active in our community and to show up for each other. It’s a day that we recognize our amazing and beautiful differences. It’s a day where we truly see each other and recognize the content of our character as Dr. King would have wanted."
Statement by FBI Special Agent in Charge Renn Cannon on Potential Violence in Oregon:
The FBI’s Portland Field Office, working with the Oregon State Police, the Salem Police Department, the Portland Police Bureau, and all of our other local, state, and federal partners, is preparing for any potential violent activity related to the recent unrest in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere.
Given the unrest at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, we are maintaining a heightened posture to monitor for any emerging threats to our region. We are focused on identifying, investigating, and disrupting individuals who were involved in the siege of the U.S. Capitol and/or those who may continue to incite violence and engage in criminal activity here locally.
To that end, the FBI in Oregon is running a command post to gather intelligence and coordinate with our law enforcement partners on potential threats. We also have special agents, bomb technicians, the FBI Evidence Response Team, tactical teams, intelligence teams, and others to support investigations and counter any potential threat of violence to the state capitol, federal buildings, and our shared community.
We need the public’s help to protect our state and the rights of peaceful protesters. We are urging people in Oregon to call us at (503) 224-4181 or go to tips.fbi.gov to submit information regarding any potential violence at any upcoming protest or event. You can also call 1 (800) CALL-FBI. If you know of an immediate emergency, call 911.
We cannot be successful without the help of the American people as work to fulfill our mission: protect the American people and uphold the U.S. Constitution.