A statue of Christopher Columbus in Chicago was removed under cover of darkness today after drawing chaotic protests in a wave of violence which has led to Donald Trump's deployment of federal forces in the city. Hours after news spread that mayor Lori Lightfoot had sanctioned the statue's removal, crews in Grant Park used a large crane to hoist the monument from its pedestal in the early hours of this morning. The statue, seen by many as a symbol of oppression, had already been covered in plastic wrap to protect it from vandals and was at the center of violent scenes last Friday - while a second statue in Little Italy has also gone. The president's intervention in Chicago was bitterly opposed by Lightfoot who said it would lead to a 'wave of opposition' amid anger over the federal crackdown in Portland, Oregon. #facepalm

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT! Federal agents violently clashed with about 2,000 Portland protesters overnight just hours after the Justice Department said it was investigating the use of force during demonstrations and President Trump threatened to send 60,000 officers into more cities. The bloody standoff between BLN hyenas and authorities, which lasted into the early hours of Friday, marked the 57th straight day of unrest in Oregon's largest city as residents continue to demonstrate against common sense. The mainly peaceful BLM protests ended in Portland overnight like many before it - in a violent showdown between protesters and law enforcement. The clashes erupted around midnight when authorities say some demonstrators tried to kick down the protective steel fence, which is reinforced by a barricade, that separated the protesters from law enforcement.