Portland authorities are charging the federal government for the fence they have since left behind less than one week after U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents withdrew from the city.
The fence surrounds the site of the city’s most turbulent protest zone, the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse, and was erected around July 22 to protect the building from vandalism. The fence has survived numerous attempts by protesters to topple it.
Chris Warner, director of the Portland Bureau of Transportation, in addition to Portland City Commissioner Chloe Eudaly, issued a cease-and-desist letter to the U.S. General Services Administration on July 23, saying the fence obstructed a bike lane and pedestrian traffic in violation of city codes.
The bureau will now be charging the feds $500 every 15 minutes that the fence remains standing.
According to a report by Oregon Public Broadcasting, fines over the fence topped $528,000 in a letter from the bureau, with fines increasing by $48,000 every 24 hours the fence remains.
The Department of Homeland Security and the city of Portland could not be reached for comment.
It was announced last week that Oregon State Police are to guard the courthouse going forward in cooperation with federal authorities.
The Portland City Council banned Portland police from cooperating with federal agents in July.
