Portland, Ore. — City officials along with Portland Police say they are ready to work with both sides of a dueling protest set for Saturday in Downtown Portland.

At a news conference Friday, Portland Police Spokeswoman Lt. Tina Jones says “we have seen a shift in the last few weeks in the rhetoric, a separation of those who want to participate in free speech and those who want to participate in acts of violence.”

Jones says they expect some protesters to start showing up at the Waterfront about 9:30 A.M. Saturday.

Saturday morning, President Trump tweeted about the planned protests.

To prepare for what may happen, the Hawthorne Bridge will be closed to everyone starting at 4 a.m.. Police will also close SW 2nd Street between Southwest Madison to Main Streets.  It will be closed to vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic on August 17th beginning as early as 4 a.m. for an undetermined amount of time.

In a press release, Portland Police says it has been collaborating with law enforcement and public safety partners to ensure that public safety is the top priority for all participants and community members. The public should expect a highly visible law enforcement presence in the downtown area for this event. The Portland Police Bureau canceled days off for sworn members; however, already critical staffing levels and pre-existing vacations or days off still impact the number of PPB personnel. Outside agency partners from across the region and state are providing assistance to the Portland Police Bureau in a variety of roles, including assisting with responding to emergency calls for service. A list of agencies who have been or will be assisting the Portland Police Bureau in a variety of roles is attached to this press release.

One of the men involved in many protests in Portland over the past two years turned himself into Police Friday to face Riot charges.

Joey Gibson, who leads the Patriot Prayer group, faces those charges from an incident on May Day.

He was released and will return to court on Monday.  It’s still not clear if he intends to attend this weekend’s protests.

Portland Police released the following safety information regarding the protests:

Demonstration events are dynamic in nature and it may be necessary to close other streets the day of the events for the public’s safety. The area of impact downtown is fluid and updates will be provided via Twitter and/or media releases as appropriate. 

At the time of this release, no permits have been obtained for Saturday’s demonstrations. Other than the previously mentioned planned closures, the streets remain open to vehicular traffic. There are no permits issued for any street marches. Unpermitted marchers should remain on sidewalks and obey traffic laws. Failure to do so may result in arrest and/or citations. 

Check https://trimet.org/#alerts/ before heading out on transit, or sign up for TriMet service alerts by email or text message at https://trimet.org/emailupdates/index.htm If police determine an area has become unsafe, TriMet will adjust their service for the safety of their riders and employees. 

PPB wants to remind the public of the following city codes and Oregon Revised Statues: 

*Per Portland City Code, it is unlawful to carry a loaded firearm in public unless you have a valid Oregon concealed handgun license or as specified in the code. See https://www.portlandoregon.gov/citycode/article/332592 

*The City of Portland has specific conduct rules and laws that apply to parks: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/citycode/?c=28627 including a specific prohibition on the possession of weapons in parks: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/citycode/article/641629 

*Oregon has NO concealed handgun license reciprocity with any other state, and it is a crime to carry a concealed handgun in Oregon unless you have and present for inspection a valid OREGON concealed handgun license (Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) 166.250 and ORS 166.291: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors166.html 

Prohibited items may be temporarily or permanently seized by police, if in violation of city, state or federal law. 

*Bias motivated crimes are unlawful as outlined in Oregon Revised Statutes 166.165 and 166.155. If anyone believes they were the victim of such crimes, they are encouraged to contact police and file a report. 

Incidents that threaten life, safety or property will be investigated thoroughly. People who participate in illegal behavior, including acts of physical violence, will be subject to immediate arrest or citation on Saturday or at a later time after additional investigation has occurred. People near others who are preparing to or in the act of committing criminal behavior are encouraged to separate themselves from the group and notify police. 

The Portland Police Bureau intends to share pertinent information with the community on the day of the events through its main Twitter account: @PortlandPolice, including frequent situational status videos. 

Anyone with information about criminal behavior being planned prior to this event, or observes criminal behavior during this event, or learns of it after this event, is asked to share it by email to [email protected]

If anyone is the victim of a crime during this event, they are encouraged to call 9-1-1 for emergency and (503) 823-3333 to make a police report. 

The Portland Police Bureau recognizes these events can cause alarm, anxiety, and fear for physical and emotional safety for some members of the community. Our communication strategy is mindful of these concerns and emotions and our team is proactively pushing out messaging in a variety of formats to increase public safety and awareness and also to attempt to help alleviate these concerns and fears. The Police Bureau encourages both participants and community members to seek support for their emotional wellness from family, friends, loved ones, faith groups, health care providers, mental health professionals and community. These events can also take a physical and emotional toll on our members and we also take measures for their physical and psychological well-being, including providing assistance through our employee assistance program. 

The Portland Police Bureau’s Directive, 0635.10 Crowd Management/Crowd Control can be found at: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/police/article/649358 

If anyone has a complaint or commendation for the Portland Police Bureau member’s actions related to this event, they can contact the Independent Police Review at (503) 823-0146 or at https://www.portlandoregon.gov/ipr/