Portland, Oregon, faced another night of violent and destructive riots on Tuesday as rioters moved their attacks to the seat of the county government, including breaching its headquarters and setting a fire inside.
But even as videos posted on social media show ongoing destruction, one county official, Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury, did not condemn the violence and instead referred to “a violent and tragic history of oppression in our county.”
The fire damaged the Office of Community Involvement.
“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,” Kafoury said in a midnight statement reported by the Oregon Live website.
She said the damaged space is dedicated to people “marginalized by the traditional political process.”
“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,” Kafoury said.
“I acknowledge that there is grave injustice in our world and there is a violent and tragic history of oppression in our County,” Kafoury said. “I am committed to transformational change.”
But Multnomah County Sheriff Mike Reese had another description of what is happening in Portland.
“The unprovoked actions by those who engaged in criminal behavior is reprehensible,” Reese said in a statement in the same Oregon Live report. “It is simply violence and serves no legitimate purpose. It does nothing to solve the issues our community faces.”
The ongoing violence in Portland and other cities such as Seattle and Chicago is taking place as the Democratic National Committee holds its virtual 2020 convention, but no one who has spoken over the first two nights of the four-night convention has addressed it.
Andy Ngo, a citizen journalist who has meticulously documented the nightly riots, reported on violent rioters, including a pedophile who was arrested but quickly released.
Ngo’s coverage included the lack of leadership in the city to counter the chaos.
There were several hundred antifa rioters involved in the organized violence (that was announced earlier in the day). On what planet is that a “small group”? https://t.co/SnxMvhwFmf
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 19, 2020
Overnight on 18–19 Aug, hundreds of antifa swarmed the Multnomah Building in Portland. They smashed out the windows & set the ground floor on fire using an accelerant. They blocked the roads by setting large dumpsters on fire. Police declared a riot. https://t.co/zZkys6X7y7 pic.twitter.com/oLKY7GR6g7
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 19, 2020
Jesse N. Hawk, 23, was arrested at the Portland #antifa riot. He's charged w/felony assault (2 counts), felony unlawful use of a weapon (2 counts) & much more. He's in the military & his social media show he was radicalized by BLM. He was quickly released. https://t.co/8UfROlGYxB pic.twitter.com/pavNxuHXQ8
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 19, 2020
Antifa smash out windows of the Multnomah Building in Portland tonight and throw lit materials inside to set the ground floor on fire. They did this to multiple other buildings over the course of their 80+ days of terror in the city. #PortlandRiots pic.twitter.com/2Q2zO7GVDU
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 19, 2020
Blake David Hampe, the 43-year-old antifa & convicted pedophile, was bailed out of jail last week. He was arrested based on a felony charge related to the stabbing of a black conservative activist at a riot. I can now report that he was bailed out by a Portland antifa bail group. pic.twitter.com/5GSULSVORB
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 18, 2020
Blake Hampe, the convicted pedophile & accused Portland #antifa stabber, was previously found carrying kids' toys…a camera & lube in his car. This is what led DHS to inspect his computer, where child porn was found. On day of the stabbing last month, Hampe was protesting DHS. pic.twitter.com/roo9PvZ1vl
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 19, 2020
“Press” in Portland last night explains why they need to destroy property in order to make police & public fear. Many of the press here support the riots. @iwriteok praised the burning of the police union hall. @alex_zee published my location for antifa. pic.twitter.com/8wkKN3wjV0
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 19, 2020
After smashing out the windows of the Multnomah Building in SE Portland tonight, antifa set the inside on fire. They are trying to burn down the building. #PortlandRiots #antifa pic.twitter.com/3JjkO5aE3j
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 19, 2020
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