Multiple Arrests Made At Justice Center Friday Night

Friday evening a group of a couple hundred protesters gathered outside the Justice center in Downtown Portland.

The group blocked traffic for several hours on Southwest 3rd Avenue at Southwest Main Street.

Some of the protesters began pulling down fence around Chapman and Lownsdale Squares.

Portland Police say “Around 9:53 p.m., people within the group began moving pieces of the fence from the parks to outside the Justice Center. Once around the Justice Center, the fence was used to barricade Justice Center doors. Portland Police gave announcements from the sound truck, warning people to stop barricading important exits from the building. People kept barricading exits with pieces of the fence at the Justice Center for several hours, including the barricading of exit doors around the Federal Courthouse. Dozens of people worked to barricade the doors while hundreds either cheered them on or assisted.”

Around 12:30 a.m. the group started shooting fireworks and smoke bombs towards the justice center, police say. During that time the group was also said to of been using the fence to block traffic on Southwest Madison Street. Police say they warned the group using the sound truck to stop blocking the doors but they continued.

Just after 1:30 a.m. police declared an unlawful assembly, and the group was given time and instruction to leave.

According to a police press release ” By 1:40 a.m. a majority of the group remained in the area, ignoring lawful orders from the sound truck. Officers arrived on scene and began dispersing the crowd to the west. During this time, several arrests were made. While dispersing the crowd, officers took projectiles such as glass bottles, rocks and broken pieces of metal from fencing. After dispersing the crowd to the west, officers disengaged.

At 2:10 a.m., several hundred people returned to the closed area. Once again, officers dispersed the crowd to the west, taking several more arrests. During the arrests, weapons and shields were taken from members in the group.”

The remaining groups were said to of dissipated in the following hours.

Weapons Confiscated Below: