Black Lives Matter protesters in Portland ‘hurl softball-sized rocks and glass bottles at cops’ during ‘violent’ night
OREGON’S biggest city has declared a riot as protesters demonstrated outside a law enforcement building early Sunday.
For the 80th consecutive night protests have descended into “tumultuous violence” and chaos.
Protesters were hit with crowd-control munitions to disperse the gathering outside the Penumbra Kelly building at around midnight Saturday.
Police tweeted that protesters had thrown “softball size” rocks, shone green lasers into officer’s eyes, and threw glass bottles and other objects at them.
Security cameras have also been spray-painted and other vandalism has been reported by the department.
Two Portland officers were injured in the riot by rocks thrown from the crowd. Both were hospitalized for further treatment.
Saturday night’s protest marks the 80th consecutive night of protesting in the city following the May 25 police murder of George Floyd.
The actions came after what started as a peaceful protest, with demonstrators chanting “take it to the streets!”, AP reports.
Cops were on the scene trying to disperse protesters from midnight to about 2.45am local time.
As a result more than 60 911 calls were left unanswered overnight, according to a police statement.
The Police Bureau said in a statement Sunday morning: “At the time of this release over 60 calls for police service were holding around the city.
“Some had been holding for the length of the events described here. Call types ranged from theft, vandalism, suspicious activity, hazards, hit and run, burglary, violation of restraining order, alarms, stolen cars, harassment and many others.”
On Saturday afternoon a rally by a small group of far-right demonstrators quickly devolved as they traded paintballs and pepper spray with counter-protesters.
Around 30 people were participating in the Patriot Prayer rally in front of the Multnomah County Justice Center.
KOIN-TV initially reported that several were armed with automatic weapons, but later said it was unclear what type of weapons were involved.
The group clashed with counter-protesters through downtown streets, and some counter-protesters blocked the exit of a garage where several Patriot Prayer members had parked.
A KOIN photojournalist reported hearing at least two gunshots at the garage.
Police said in a statement that “a person allegedly fired a gun.” Portland police Lt. Greg Pashley told The Oregonian/OregonLive that the department would investigate.
Earlier in the day, police said they made four arrests overnight as they dispersed a protest that was headed toward the offices of the police union.
The bureau declared the demonstration of a couple hundred people an unlawful assembly Friday night, saying people were throwing fireworks, golf balls and chunks of concrete at officers.
Some of those in crowd wore the word “press” on the outside of their clothing “as cover,” police said.
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Officers said they used crowd control munitions and smoke but no CS tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Demonstrations, often violent, have happened nightly in Portland for more than two months following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.
Participants have repeatedly broken into the offices of the Portland Police Association, vandalized them and set fires.