Portland police declared yet another riot Tuesday night on the 83rd consecutive day of protests after a 200-strong mob of protesters torch...
Portland police declared yet another riot Tuesday night on the 83rd consecutive day of protests after a 200-strong mob of protesters torched the city's famous Multnomah Building.
The group had marched to the county seat of government for the first time, smashing windows and sparking a blaze by pushing lit newspapers through the windows. One image shows the protesters had marked a window to the building with the graffiti: 'Aim here.'
Demonstrations that often turn violent have racked Oregon's biggest city for more than two months following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Video taken Tuesday night shows protesters calling for 'no cops, no prisons, total abolition'.
According to Oregon Live, the demonstration remained peaceful for more than an hour, but protesters started to set fire to dumpsters and broke windows, and after about an hour, small fires could be seen inside the building. Police said lighter fluid was also sprayed inside the Multnomah.
People could be seen throwing stones through the windows, followed by flaming materials, setting the office ablaze. Some were carrying shields and wearing helmets and gas masks, according to law enforcement.
Police later tweeted to tell protesters the 'gathering had been declared a riot', ordering those there to disperse. There were also reports of a stabbing and a shooting in the city overnight.
Two people were arrested - 23-year-old Jesse Hawk and Peter Curtis, 40. Hawk was charged with riot, interfering with a peace officer, resisting arrest, unlawful use of a weapon, assaulting a public safety officer, harassment, disorderly conduct II, and attempted escape. Curtis was charged with attempt criminal mischief and reckless endangering.
A group of around 200 protesters marched to the city's Multnomah Building - the county seat of government - for the first time, smashing windows and sparking a blaze by pushing lit newspapers through the windows
Portland police declared a riot last night on the 83rd consecutive day of protests when a group of demonstrators set a government office building alight
Some smashed windows and threw lit debris through the windows, setting fire to parts of the building (pictured in a video from The Oregonian)
Deborah Kafoury, Multnomah County Chair said of the building: 'This is the heart of our County, where people in our community come to get married, get their passports, and celebrate their cultural traditions and diversity.' (pictured in a video from The Oregonian)
Local reports say that a group gathered at around 8 p.m. PDT in Colonel Summers Park at Southeast 20th Avenue and Belmont Street, and at around 9 p.m., the group marched through the streets of Southwest Portland.
The march, which organizers described s a 'direct action march', eventually arrived at the Multnomah Building at Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard and Grand Avenue.
At around 10.30 p.m., police - who had not been on the scene previously - moved into the area and declared a riot an hour later, and began pushing protesters away from the scene while asking them to disperse.
In a Tweet at 11:30 p.m., Portland Police said: 'The gathering outside the County Building at 501 SE Hawthorne has been declared a riot. Everyone must disperse to the north immediately.
'Failure to comply with this order may subject you to citation or arrest, and may subject you to the use of tear gas, crowd control munitions and or impact weapons.'
Protesters continued to move through the inner streets of the city for the next hour and a half, while being pushed north by groups of police.
One officer is said to have suffered a minor injury during the dispersal.
Videos of police appearing to use heavy-handed tactics were also shared on social media, with some showing groups of police outnumbering protesters, hitting them with batons and pushing them to the ground.
In a statement police said: 'Some crowd control munitions were used during dispersal. No CS gas was used.'
There was damage to a lobby where protective equipment against the spread of the coronavirus is distributed, she said.The building is used for marriages, among other services.
Deborah Kafoury, Multnomah County Chair, released a statement about the damage to the Multnomah Building, saying: 'This is the heart of our County, where people in our community come to get married, get their passports, and celebrate their cultural traditions and diversity.'
According to Oregon Live , the demonstration remained peaceful for more than an hour, but protesters started to set fire to dumpsters and broke windows, and after about an hour, small fires could be seen inside the building
Two people were arrested - 23-year-old Jesse Hawk and Peter Curtis, 40. Hawk was charged with riot, interfering with a peace officer, resisting arrest, unlawful use of a weapon, assaulting a public safety officer, harassment, disorderly conduct II, and attempt escape. Curtis was charged with attempt criminal mischief and reckless endangering
Several people in the crowd were seen carrying shields and wearing helmets and gas masks
The space is dedicated to community members 'marginalized by the traditional political process,' she said, noting 'The lobby where the first same-sex marriage in Oregon took place, and where millions of pieces of personal protective equipment are being distributed to help our community battle COVID-19, was damaged.'
'I acknowledge that there is grave injustice in our world and there is a violent and tragic history of oppression in our County,' she added. 'I am committed to transformational change.'
Police on Tuesday said they have identified a suspect accused of punching and kicking a man to the ground after he crashed his pickup truck on a sidewalk near ongoing demonstrations.
At around 10.30 p.m., police - who had not been on the scene previously - moved into the area and declared a riot an hour later, and began pushing protesters away from the scene while asking them to disperse
Local reports say that a group gathered at around 8 p.m. PDT in Colonel Summers Park at Southeast 20th Avenue and Belmont Street, and at around 9 p.m., the group marched through the streets of Southwest Portland
. The march, which organizers described s a 'direct action march', eventually arrived at the Multnomah Building at Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard and Grand Avenue
There were also reports of a stabbing and a shooting in the city overnight
Authorities had received a report around 10:30 p.m. Sunday of protesters chasing a truck a few blocks from the downtown federal courthouse.
The driver crashed and was then assaulted, authorities said.
Authorities are trying to track down the suspect, Marquise Love, 25, police said in a statement.
The victim of the assault has been released from a hospital and is recovering.
A social media account apparently connected to Love has been disabled and efforts to locate him for comment were not immediately successful.
Demonstrations that often turn violent have racked Oregon's biggest city for more than two months following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
On Monday night, authorities said people marched to the police union building and tried to break into the facility.
No arrests were made during Monday night's protest and authorities said most of the crowd dispersed by early Tuesday morning.
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