Portland Police Move in Quickly to Demolish CHAZ

Police in Portland, Oregon, quickly tore down a barrier erected by protesters intent on setting up a Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ).

The zone was reportedly established outside what the demonstrators believed was the apartment of Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, KATU News reported.

Playtime over: Portland autonomous zone is no more
pic.twitter.com/Yzvv8fkINM

— ELIJAH SCHAFFER (@ElijahSchaffer) June 18, 2020

Portland Police declared a “civil disturbance and unlawful assembly from NW 11th east to NW Park Ave and NW Irving south to NW Everett St”:

PPB is declaring a civil disturbance and unlawful assembly from NW 11th east to NW Park Ave and NW Irving south to NW Everett St. If you do not live inside a dwelling in this area, leave immediately to the west. If you do not leave you are subject to arrest or use of force.

— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) June 18, 2020

“If you do not live inside a dwelling in this area, leave immediately to the west,” police ordered. “If you do not leave you are subject to arrest or use of force.”

According to the news report, the Pacific Northwest Youth Liberation Front called the area the Patrick Kimmons Autonomous Zone, named after Kimmons, who was shot and killed by Portland police in October 2018.

The group used “dumpsters, pallets and boards” to establish the zone and prevent anyone from driving into the area.

Protesters demanded $50 million to be cut from the Portland Police Bureau’s budget. On Wednesday, the city council approved a $16 million cut from the police budget.

House Judiciary Committee