Federal Agents Use Tear Gas, Pepper Balls on Eugene ICE Protesters

Chemical irritants, including tear gas and pepper balls, were used to disperse protesters who attempted to force entry into the Eugene Federal Building after chanting "ICE out." The clash, which stretched from midday into the evening on Jan. 27, produced clouds of noxious fumes, multiple injuries, and six arrests made in three separate waves.

Federal agents deployed in at least three responses throughout the day. The first wave occurred just after noon and resulted in three arrests; those detainees were later released. A second wave around 2:30 p.m. led to two more arrests, and a third confrontation near 4:30 p.m. produced at least one additional arrest. By evening, federal officers numbering at least 30 were present outside the front entrance, and a smaller "wall" of roughly 15 agents - identified by witnesses as including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Department of Homeland Security personnel - had confronted demonstrators earlier in the day.

Medical volunteers and bystanders treated several people on site after exposure to chemical agents. Local EMT Mark Peabody said his eyes were burning and he had trouble breathing from residual spray, and he described one person as unable to see for about 15 minutes: "They were screaming in pain." Protester Anna Lardner said she was thrown to the ground and dragged into the building during a detention around 12:15 p.m., and that federal agents kneeled on her legs. Lardner said she was cited for trespassing, failure to obey a law enforcement officer and interfering with a federal officer; she said she was given no explanation for the citation, and that a requested female officer to conduct a search was initially refused. She reported bruising, wrist and ankle pain and intends to seek urgent care.

Law enforcement activity drew a visible local response. An Eugene Police Department drone hovered over the scene, officers patrolled the area, and Eugene Springfield Fire staged medics and fire trucks nearby. Around 8:27 p.m., federal agents announced over a loudspeaker that all detainees had been released and ordered remaining protesters to disperse or face further use of chemical deterrents and additional arrests; most protesters left, though about two dozen remained in the courtyard near the building's front entrance.

The confrontations intersect with an ongoing legal dispute. Two people involved in Friday's actions, including Chloe Longworth and Anna Lardner, are named complainants in a lawsuit seeking to prevent enforcement of a federal "loud and unusual noise" rule outside federal offices. U.S. District Court Judge Ann Aiken issued a temporary restraining order barring the Department of Homeland Security from enforcing that provision on sidewalks surrounding the Federal Building at Sixth and Pearl streets. The restraining order has been extended three times since Dec. 10 and is set to expire Feb. 20, 2026, pending further government response.

For Eugene residents, the incident highlights tensions between federal law enforcement presence downtown and long-standing protest activity near Sixth and Pearl. Expect continuing legal developments in federal court and potential further demonstrations before the pending temporary restraining order lapses, with implications for public safety, downtown access and how federal and local agencies manage protests in shared public spaces.