Construction is underway on a fence surrounding the federal building in downtown Eugene.
On Wednesday, landscaping crews were working to remove some grass on the Pearl Street side of the building along an area where the fence would apparently stand. Construction on black-grated fencing, roughly eight feet high, started that evening around 7 p.m.
The building has been the site of frequent protests in recent months, including one in January that included a riot declaration and broken windows. Multiple people were arrested outside the building on Wednesday, according to reports from protesters and observations by KLCC journalists on the scene. Most of the protest activity concerns U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has offices in the building, along with other federal agencies.
The City of Eugene said that because the building is federal property, it did not have the ability to prevent the fence from being built.
The city did issue "Right-of-Way Use Permits" for temporary lane closures during construction. While the city said it had no authority to prevent the federal government from building the fence, it did review the application to temporarily close lanes in front of the building to facilitate the fence's construction.
"The City reviewed the application, all requirements were met, and the permit was issued," said a press release issued Wednesday by the Eugene Police Department. "The City approves or denies permits based solely on whether the permit requirements are met, not based on who is applying."
Those right-of-way permits are valid for April 29 and 30, according to a page on the city's website.
Earlier this week, the city built a temporary sidewalk that it said would allow pedestrians to continue to pass in front of the building after the fence is built.
Zachary Kirihara was watching the fence go up from a parking lot on Pearl Street on Wednesday evening. He said it was a scary sight, particularly with Eugene Police overseeing the construction.
"A number of years ago, when Black Lives Matter was happening, it felt like the police were on the side of the people," Kirihara said, "where this very much feels like they’re helping create what almost looks like a prison.”
