Another Riot Declared In Downtown Portland
PORTLAND, Ore. — Police declared another riot in downtown Portland on Wednesday night where hundreds of demonstrators assembled.
A rally at Chapman Square and Lownsdale Square parks was mostly peaceful. The group blocked traffic at Southwest 3rd and Main for several hours.
Late in the evening, demonstrators threw fireworks and other objects such as cans of paint, rocks, bottles and eggs over the fence surrounding the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse at officers and lit small fires outside the courthouse and Central Precinct. Lasers were shined at the eyes of officers.
One officers suffered a severe hand injury and several others had minor injuries.
Some of the demonstrators wore helmets, gas masks and were armed with shields and batons.
Commercial Grade Fireworks, Rocks, Bottles, and Eggs Launched at Officers during Mass Gathering Outside of Justice Center (Photo) https://t.co/fLUnGo8MuU pic.twitter.com/UjUKEGHMpD
— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) August 13, 2020
Portland Police and Oregon State Police made attempts to disperse the crowd. The riot was declared around midnight after police warned the crowd to leave and they did not.
Failure to comply with this order may subject you to citation or arrest, and may subject you to the use of tear gas, crowd control agents, and or impact weapons.
— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) August 13, 2020
Police used CS gas and crowd control munitions to deter the crowd. Several demonstrators were arrested as police cleared the streets including someone who vandalized a police car.