Federal officers deployed tear gas, fired less-lethal rounds into a crowd of protesters and used unmarked vans to grab demonstrators off the streets in Oregon as Black Lives Matter protesters occupied Portland streets with 'CLAT' - their own autonomous zone similar to Seattle's CHOP. 

Between 200 and 250 protesters were seen running from the areanear Pioneer Courthouse Square late Thursday as smoke filled the air from tear gas used by federal agents. 

Despite push back from Oregon officials, President Trump earlier deployed federal agents to Portland after determining local authorities couldn't quell protests on their own following seven weeks of non-stop demonstrations. 

Recently, protesters in Portland chucked glass bottles at federal agents, torched the American flag and one man tried to break into a federal building with a hammer. 

And on Monday, 26-year-old peaceful protester was shot in the head with a 'rubber bullet' by federal agents last week, who bled out onto the concrete. 

Several officials have blamed Trump for the escalated tensions between law enforcement, including Sen. Ron Wyden, who accused Trump and acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf of  'weaponizing the DHS as their own occupying army to provoke violence on the streets of my hometown because they think it plays well with right-wing media.'