8 Arrests Made During Saturday Demonstrations

Portland Police say they made eight arrests during demonstrations on Saturday Night.

According to Police “A group of demonstrators started gathering around 7:30 p.m. on June 27, 2020 and began blocking the street at Southwest 3 Avenue/Main Street. They formed a human chain to pull plastic barriers out of the pit at Southwest 2/Salmon Street behind a former restaurant. The fencing and barricades appeared to be cabled together and were used to block off the street. A woman with a hand held speaker was heard calling for violent resistance from the crowd.”

Police say they warned demonstrators numerous times using the sound truck and social media to both get out of the street and not to block it.

The crowd reportedly did not leave and continued blocking the road with fence panels and barricades.
Police also say the justice center was sprayed with graffiti as well as the Federal Courthouse and surrounding area including tags about killing cops. (see below)

Police say around 10:30 PM they declared and unlawful assembly and gave warnings for protesters to leave.

They say despite the warnings the crowd remained.

The Portland Police Bureau said in a press release “Officers responded to the intersection and made efforts to move the crowd away from the barricades so they could be cleared and the street could re-open. During this engagement, officers had rocks, glass bottles, and paint thrown at them. Lasers and lights were directed at the officer’s eyes. Crowd control munitions were used during this interaction, but not CS gas.”

Officers say that they were able to remove the barricades and leave, but once they did the crowd returned to the intersection and blocked the street.

Police say “At about 1:20 a.m., the group moved to Southwest 2 Avenue between Madison and Main Streets and began to block the Central Precinct door and the roll down gates. Warnings were again provided and arrests were made. During an arrest attempt, an officer was struck in the face with a skateboard and sustained minor injury. The subject who resisted arrest and assaulted the officer with the skateboard was arrested.
Two dumpsters were pulled from a nearby building into the street. An unlawful assembly was again declared and the area of Southwest 1-4 Avenues/Clay to Morrison were closed. The crowd was ordered to disperse. A few sidewalk garbage cans were set on fire. The closure area was extended to include the area up to 6 Avenue. Efforts to disperse the crowd were made when they did not disperse on their own; crowd control munitions were used, but not CS gas.”

The crowd was said to of mostly left by just after 2 A.M.