99 nights of unrest: Portland Police and state troopers clash with protesters overnight and make ‘multiple arrests’ after declaring an unlawful assembly outside police union headquarters
- Cops declared an unlawful assembly after protesters gathered outside the police union headquarters on Friday night
- Demonstrators marched to the facility on N Lombard St where they were met by a line of officers in riot gear
- Police ordered protesters to stay off the streets and private property, threatening them with crowd control munitions
- By midnight, cops moved in on crowds, pushing them out of the area and detaining multiple people
- Portland Police on Saturday said 27 people were arrested, mostly on charges of interfering with law enforcement or disorderly conduct
By Karen Ruiz For Dailymail.com and Reuters
Published: | Updated:
More than two dozen protesters were arrested in Portland overnight after police declared an unlawful assembly during the 99th consecutive night of unrest in the city.
Chaos erupted outside the Portland Police Association building where a few hundred demonstrators gathered after marching from Kenton Park earlier Friday evening.
Crowds arrived at N Lombard Street to find cops in riot gear as well as Oregon state troopers waiting outside.
It marks the first time state police officers were back on the front lines after being withdrawn from the area early last month.
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Portland Police and Oregon state troopers joined forces after chaos broke out between protesters and cops on Friday night
Officers in riot gear made multiple arrests after declaring an unlawful assembly outside the Portland Police Association building on N Lombard Street on Friday
Police officers used crowd control munitions to disperse protesters after they failed to obey the order and clear the area
A few hundred demonstrators marched to the building earlier Friday night only to be met by dozens of officers waiting outside
Anti-police protester Addie Mitchell was seen shouting at an officer during a demonstration
Police warned protesters to stay off the streets and private property, threatening them with citations, arrest, the use of tear gas and crowd-control agents.
The encounter led to a face off with officers, with protesters chanting and tossing balloons, Oregon Live reported.
Just before midnight, about two hours after demonstrators arrived, cops declared an unlawful assembly and began moving in on crowds, pushing people out of the area.
Clouds of smoke filled the air as cops deployed smoke bombs and stun grenades to disperse crowds.
Police ran down the street, knocking people down and arresting those who they say were not following orders.
As some people were being detained, they were pinned to the ground and blood could be seen marking the street pavement.
Crowds gathered outside the police union headquarters around 10pm where they were met with a wall of police including Mobile Response Team (MRT) members, state assets and armored vehicles
Protesters faced off with cops for about two hours before officers began moving in on crowds
Cops began rushing demonstrators and detained multiple people during the skirmish
The Oregon city nears 100 days of demonstrations against racism and police brutality, which have at times turned violent
At least six people were seen being detained during the clash, according to Oregon Live.
Police on Saturday said they arrested 27 people, mostly on charges of interfering with law enforcement or disorderly conduct after not complying with orders to clear the area where they assembled and throwing items at officers.
‘Officers began to make targeted arrests and in some cases moved the crowd back and kept them out of the street,’ they said in a statement.
One arrested protester was injured with a ‘bleeding abrasion’ on her head, police said.
Demonstrations in Portland, which started in late May after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, are reaching 100 straight nights of protests that have been marked by vandalism and violence.
Law enforcement officers deployed smoke canisters demonstrators continued protesting for 99 consecutive days
Two street medics react as Portland police arrest members of their group during a protest
Anti-police protesters held signs as they rallied outside the Portland Police Association building
These have at times turned into clashes between demonstrators and officers, as well as between right- and left-wing groups.
The slaying of a right-wing Trump supporter, Aaron ‘Jay’ Danielson, shot and killed after he came downtown last weekend with a pro-Trump caravan of pickup trucks further roiled things in the liberal city.
The prime suspect in the shooting, self-described anti-fascist Michael Forest Reinoehl, was killed Thursday night by law enforcement.
Since Floyd’s killing, nights of unrest that increasingly targeted a federal courthouse prompted President Donald Trump to dispatch U.S. agents to guard the building in July.
His Democratic challenger in the November 3 presidential election, Joe Biden, has accused Trump of stoking violence with his rhetoric.
Anti-police protesters rally outside the Portland Police Association building .This weekend Portland will mark 100 consecutive days of protests over the May 25 police killing of George Floyd
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