The Fence Protecting Downtown’s Federal Courthouse From Protesters Is Back Up, Three Days After It Came Down

The crew transporting the materials back to Washington, D.C., were 15 miles outside Portland when they received the call to turn around and come back.

The courthouse fence enjoys a peaceful interlude. (Brian Burk)
By Matthew Singer

Only 72 hours after it was removed, the fence surrounding the federal courthouse in downtown Portland is back up.

The metal barricade surrounding the Mark O. Hatfield Courthouse was initially erected last summer as the building became a focal point of Portland's racial justice protests. On Thursday, federal officials decided it was time to take the fencing down "as part of a broader effort to help the city return to normalcy," according to a representative of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Almost as soon as it came down, protesters smashed windows, tagged the outside walls and even started a small fire outside the building. So, on Sunday, authorities ordered the fencing reinstalled. According to The Oregonian, the crew transporting the materials back to Washington, D.C., were 15 miles outside Portland when they received the call to turn around and come back.

Related: Police use mass detainments to curb protests and property damage after  a renewed defacing of the courthouse.

It's an inverse of another situation involving a barrier meant to protect buildings downtown: Last summer, city officials built a plywood wall around Portland City Hall—and then tore it down in less than a day.

In the courthouse's case, the metal fence reportedly cost over $200,000, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting. In total, the federal government has spent $1.5 million repairing damage to the courthouse since protests started last year.

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