\n<\/p>\n
PORTLAND, Ore. — <\/span>A federal judge in Oregon on Monday restricted federal officers from using tear gas at protests at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland, in response to a lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Oregon on behalf of protesters and freelance journalists.<\/p>\n U.S. District Judge Michael Simon issued the preliminary injunction after a three-day hearing in which the plaintiffs \u2014 including a demonstrator known for wearing a chicken costume, a married couple in their 80s and two freelance journalists \u2014 testified about having chemical or projectile munitions used against them. <\/p>\n The lawsuit, whose defendants include the Department of Homeland Security, argues that federal officers\u2019 use of such munitions is a retaliation against protesters that chills their First Amendment rights.<\/p>\n \u201cPlaintiffs provided numerous videos, which were received in evidence and unambiguously show DHS officers spraying OC Spray directly into the faces of peaceful and nonviolent protesters engaged in, at most, passive resistance and discharging tear gas and firing pepper-ball munitions into crowds of peaceful and nonviolent protestors,\u201d Simon wrote, using the term OC Spray to refer to pepper spray.<\/p>\n \u201cDefendants\u2019 conduct \u2014 physically harming protestors and journalists without prior dispersal warnings \u2014 is objectively chilling.\u201d<\/p>\n DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In previous statements, it said federal officers followed their training and used the minimum amount of force necessary.<\/p>\n Simon had previously issued a temporary restraining order<\/a> similarly limiting federal agents from using chemical munitions during protests at the ICE building. His preliminary injunction is the second in recent days restricting agents\u2019 tear gas use at the facility, following that of a federal judge<\/a> overseeing a separate case brought by the residents of an adjacent affordable housing complex.<\/a><\/p>\n