Weeks after city and state officials and Democrats claimed additional federal officers deployed to Portland to protect federal property had caused peaceful protests to become violent, and so the extra personnel pulled back, the riots and destruction have grown, according to numerous media and observer reports on Friday and Saturday.
Oregon Live reported on the rise in violence by Antifa protesters:
The Portland Police Bureau has declared a riot 18 times since the late May death of George Floyd, a Black man killed by Minneapolis police, according to figures released by the agency this week.
Nine of those instances have occurred since the beginning of August, including four in the past seven days.
In August, violent clashes and vandalism have unfurled in almost every section of the city and dominated many of the nightly actions.
A group of about 200 people, dressed mostly in black and masked, rioted in Northeast Portland in residential areas where they pointed lights into the windows of homes and chanted “Out of your house, into the streets.”
“What Lives Matter? Black Lives Matter! Black Lives Matter,” the crowd chanted, embracing the idea that land in the United States was stolen from Native Americans.
Residents on Portland’s north side are at their windows as the Black Lives Matter march makes its way through the neighborhood #Portland #PortlandProtests #PortlandProtesters pic.twitter.com/NfUglyO4aj
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) August 22, 2020
“Stolen land, stolen people” chants as protesters continue to shine lights into residences here in Portland along the march route #Portland #PortlandProtest pic.twitter.com/W4JlEt6xRY
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) August 22, 2020
KATU reported on the violence on Friday night:
According to Police, over the next three hours, individuals in the crowd pelted the police vehicles with softball-sized rocks, glass bottles, golf balls, ball bearings, metal railroad spikes, and plastic eggs filled with paint. Police said there were also balloons filled with feces thrown on the cars and even a torn up street sign was used to vandalize the marked police cars. Windows were broken and tires were deflated.
Overnight on 21–22 Aug. (day 87), hundreds of #antifa rioters attacked the Portland Police north precinct. They smashed up police vehicles using rocks & spikes. They threw feces, paint & eggs. Antifa also smashed windows on the Boys & Girls club van. https://t.co/QO9nGhWoRE pic.twitter.com/ZxF11fwbqP
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 22, 2020
The Portland Police issued a statement on Saturday that said, in part:
The officers were targeted by thrown bottles, eggs, and green lasers toward their eyes. The lasers are powerful enough that they’re capable of causing serious, permanent eye damage. The police sound truck issued further warnings, notifying the crowd that officers have observed people in the area of North Precinct throwing projectiles and pointing lasers at officers. Anyone who is involved in criminal behavior including throwing projectiles and/or laser pointing, is subject to arrest, citation and/or use of force, including, but not limited to, crowd control agents and impact weapons.
Despite warnings, individuals in the crowd continued throwing things. Officers tried to retreat out of sight to attempt to deescalate. Over the next three hours, individuals in the crowd pelted the police vehicles with softball-sized rocks, glass bottles, golf balls, ball bearings, metal railroad spikes, and plastic eggs filled with paint (photo). There were also balloons filled with feces thrown on the cars and even a torn up street sign was used to vandalize the marked police cars. Windows were broken and tires were deflated.
Nine people were arrested, police said, and their names were made public.
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