#DHS to collect information on protesters threatening to damage statues

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Agents from different components of the Department of Homeland Security are deployed to protect a federal courthouse in Portland
Doug Brown/AP

The Department of Homeland Security expanded the authority of its officials to collect information about protesters threatening to damage or destroy public memorials and statues even if they aren’t on federal government property, according to a report.

The new guidance moves the DHS beyond its traditional authority to protect landmarks from terrorist attacks.

The news comes as President Trump deployed federal officials to Portland and threatened to dispatch them to other Democrat-run cities — including New York — unless protests are quelled.

The authorization is described as a “job aid” for DHS personnel and stems from an executive order Trump signed last month to protect monuments and statues from vandalism and destruction.

During the nationwide protests over the killing of George Floyd in police custody, protesters have targeted statues of Confederate leaders, Columbus and other historical figures, toppling them or spray-painting graffiti on them.

The guidance appears to pertain to ongoing intelligence-gathering efforts for “personnel collecting and reporting on various activities in the context of elevated threats targeting monuments, memorials, and statues.”

The document, obtained by the Washington Post, allows the monitoring of social media posts and other public information to keep an eye on people or groups that may “damage or destroy any public monument, memorial, or statue.”

It doesn’t make a distinction about the types of monuments.

But DHS personnel were notified that they must have a substantial reason why someone is a threat and not rely on “‘hunches’ and intuitions, which are insufficient.”