The City of San Diego has adopted a resolution that will prevent federal law enforcement from intervening during outbreaks of civil unrest in the city. The resolution, which was presented by Council President Georgette Gomez on Thursday, cites the recent unrest in Portland, Oregon where it says federal police violated the rights of peaceful protesters by using violence and unlawful tactics to control the situation there. Gomez said, "This kind of heavy-handed authoritarian behavior is not welcome here. We denounce the use of unlawful and unconstitutional activities against peaceful protesters."
Approved by a 6-2 margin, the resolution asserts the City of San Diego's right to protect its own streets without federal intervention and supports efforts to hold inquiries that will hold law enforcement accountable,
Council director of government affairs, Matt Yagyan said that the council with work with the city attorney's office on an ongoing basis to monitor federal agencies like the Department of Homeland Security regarding the deployment of federal officers in San Diego.
The resolution's timely approval comes as civil unrest continues in Portland, Oregon and after a leaked Department of Homeland Security document revealed that San Diego was among 18 U.S. cities targeted for potential deployment of federal police.