PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Protesters and police clashed in downtown Portland in a demonstration that lasted into the predawn hours of Thursday, with some in the crowd setting a fire and exploding commercial grade fireworks outside a federal courthouse that’s been a target in months of conflict for Oregon’s largest city.
Officers used tear gas to break up the crowd of several hundred people who gathered near the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse, the neighboring Multnomah County Justice Center and a nearby police precinct station.
To those outside of The Justice Center, this gathering has been declared a riot.
All persons near The Justice Center need to leave by traveling to the north and west. You are ordered to disperse immediately.— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) August 13, 2020
Unfearful of consequences, antifa rioters move in to fight police in close combat. They are promptly shoved back. #PortlandRiots pic.twitter.com/j9z1vgHU0I
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 13, 2020
Protests have been held nightly in the city since the police killing of George Floyd in May, who died after a white officer pressed a knee to his neck
Protesters hurled rocks, bottles and paint at officers during the demonstration that started Wednesday night and went into Thursday morning, Portland police said in a statement.
Rioters have returned to attacking the federal courthouse in downtown Portland again tonight. They’re throwing lots of projectiles and explosives at the building. They started a fire on the front. #PortlandRiots #antifa pic.twitter.com/OEpsM8ovZl
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 13, 2020
Rioters in downtown Portland armed with sticks and batons block random cars from leaving a parking garage. #PortlandRiots #antifa Video by @TheHannahRay. pic.twitter.com/S2ZRYDqL99
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 13, 2020
Antifa in downtown Portland are burning another pig head wearing a cop hat outside the Justice Center. They also burn a Trump flag. Video by @TheHannahRay #PortlandRiots #antifa pic.twitter.com/g5mRQKyStN
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 13, 2020
One officer suffered a hand wound described as serious several other officers suffered non-specified injuries and several people were detained, with one arrested on suspicion of vandalizing a police vehicle, the statement said.
Police rush in to clear rioters from the Portland federal courthouse. #antifa #PortlandRiots Video by @TheHannahRay pic.twitter.com/7CP5JPCbiE
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 13, 2020
The protests in Portland reached their apex last month outside the federal courthouse, with demonstrators clashing nightly with federal agents dispatched to the city to protect the courthouse.
The demonstrations dwindled after a drawdown of the agents, who were replaced by Oregon state troopers. But protests that turned violent re-emerged over the last week, mostly near a police union headquarters building miles from the federal courthouse.
Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
—-
This content is published through a licensing agreement with Acquire Media using its NewsEdge technology.
Recent Comments