BLM protesters smash windows and vandalize lobby of Portland City Hall while pelting officers with eggs and bottles on the 90th consecutive night of chaos in the city that saw 23 arrested
Protesters in Portland smashed windows at City Hall and pelted officers with projectiles Tuesday night on the 90th consecutive night of demonstrations in the Oregon city that saw 23 arrested.
A crowd of around 150 demonstrators assembled downtown at Shemanski Park yesterday evening, marching toward City Hall at 9pm - exactly three months after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Demonstrators threw bottles and eggs at police, and put metal bars in the street to try to damage police vehicles. Members of the crowd also vandalized the lobby of City Hall, smashing windows and marring the outside of the building with graffiti.
The Portland Police Department said officers used 'crowd control munitions' in response to the protest, which was later deemed a riot, but did not specify what kind.
Protesters in Portland smashed windows at City Hall and pelted officers with projectiles Tuesday night, the 90th consecutive day of demonstrations
Portland police walk past the shattered glass of a bus stop while dispersing a crowd of about 150 people
Portland police officers clear the lobby of Portland City Hall after protesters vandalized the buildings lobby
In total, 23 adults were arrested and two youths were detained
The statement said officers used 'crowd control munitions' in response to the protest, which was later deemed a riot, but did not specify what kind
The chaos erupted within 15 minutes of the crowd arriving, police said, where the activists graffitied the building's rotunda, smashed a door switch and shattered three glass doors.
A number of the demonstrators forced their way into City Hall, where security features - such as the surveillance camera - were smashed.
The protest was quickly deemed an unlawful assembly by police. A line of officers were seen approaching the crowd and attempting to force them away from City Hall.
Members of the crowd continued to shatter windows of the building, while one protester ignited an aerosol can while spraying it towards the building, Oregon Live reported.
As tensions escalated, police eventually deemed the gathering a riot at 11:20pm, citing 'extreme life safety concerns' of security guards working inside City Hall.
Officers moved in to disperse the crowd more forcefully and began arresting more people.
Police were struck by an array of projectiles such as eggs and bottles as they moved in on the crowd. Someone reportedly shined a powerful laser into an officer's eyes three times, police said. A bus stop was also reportedly shattered amid the unrest.
The shattered front window of Portland City Hall is seen here after protesters vandalized the buildings lobby
The chaos erupted within 15 minutes of the crowd arriving, police said, where the activists graffitied the building's rotunda, smashed a door switch and shattered three glass doors
As tensions escalated, police eventually deemed the gather a riot, citing 'extreme life safety concerns' of security guards working inside City Hall
Officers moved in to disperse the crowd more forcefully and began arresting more people
Portland has been gripped by nightly protests for nearly three months since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis
The crowd continued to march around the area, with police again converging on City Hall around midnight to remind protesters of the riot declaration and encourage them to move away from the building.
Officers arrested several more people. In total, 23 adults were arrested and two youths were temporarily detained.
The violence came a day after protesters Monday night repeatedly set fire to a police union headquarters building and were repelled by officers spraying tear gas, officials said. Twenty five people were arrested amid clashes that stretched into Tuesday morning.
Portland has been gripped by nightly protests for three months since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Demonstrations, often violent, have targeted police buildings and federal buildings. Some protesters have called for reductions in police budgets while the city's mayor and some in the Black community have decried the violence, saying it is counterproductive.
: A Portland police officer collects discarded shields left by protesters after the crowd was successfully dispersed early Tuesday
A protester and a Multnomah County Sheriffs deputy talk in between dispersal pushes early in the morning
Demonstrations, often violent, have targeted police buildings and federal buildings. Some protesters have called for reductions in police budgets while the city's mayor and some in the Black community have decried the violence, saying it is counterproductive
Police were struck by an array of projectiles such as eggs and bottles as they moved in on the crowd
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump renewed calls to have Gov. Kate Brown and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler call in the state´s National Guard.
'They must stop calling these anarchists and agitators "peaceful protesters". Come back into the real world! The Federal Government is ready to end this problem immediately upon your request,' Trump wrote on Twitter.
Brown responded on Twitter to Trump's demand, calling it 'political theater.'
In July the federal government sent agents to protect federal property in downtown Portland.
Crowds grew into the thousands and agents repeatedly clashed with people over a two-week period, deployed tear gas and arrested people they said were hurling objects and trying to hurt agents and damage property.
The agents pulled back from a visible presence downtown, but it´s unclear how many remained in Portland, under an agreement in which the Oregon State Police would be deployed to downtown.
The State Police left after the agreed upon two-week monitoring period.
BLM protesters smash windows and vandalize lobby of Portland City Hall while pelting officers with eggs and bottles on the 90th consecutive night of chaos in the city that saw 23 arrested
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August 27, 2020
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