A 'very dark history': Oregon's racist past fuels protests against injustice in Portland

A predominantly white city tucked away in the northwest corner of the USA hardly seems the logical spot to emerge as the new flashpoint of the protests against racism and police brutality that have raged across the country for nearly two months.

Then again, both Portland and its home state of Oregon have a troubled past that animates the demonstrations, in their eighth week.

Add to that a president sinking in the polls and eager to rally his base behind a vow to “dominate the streets” in an election year,...