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Law and Justice

Portland police declare 'riot' as fire set outside union HQ

August 25, 2020

Police arrived and declared the gathering an unlawful assembly minutes after demonstrators massed in front of the building.

https://p.dw.com/p/3hSnv
Star Wars has been a theme of the Protest in Portland, as Federal Agents in their gas masks, uniforms and riot gear look like Storm Troopers
Image: picture-alliance/ZUMA Wire/A. Katz

Police in Portland, Oregon declared a "riot" late Monday night after protesters lit a fire next to the police association building.

"To those on North Lombard St and Campbell Avenue, people have lit a fire at the building. This is now a RIOT," police tweeted.

"Failure to leave now will subject you to arrest and/or the use of crowd control munitions including but not limited to tear gas and impact weapons," the department wrote.

Read more: US federal officers use tear gas in fresh confrontation with protesters

Portland has been one of the focal points of demonstrations against racism and police brutality, which have rocked the United States since the May death of George Floyd. 

Police arrived minutes after protesters began a march on police union headquarters, and declared the gathering an unlawful assembly, according to the Oregonian newspaper. 

Some people in the crowd spray-painted the building, while another climbed on the roof to display a banner.

Police also posted a photograph of the blaze. "The severity of the damage is unclear. This gathering remains a riot," the department wrote. 

Read more: Portland protests: Oregon sues over unlawful detentions

A string of protests

The gathering comes a night after Portland police used tear gas on protesters and arrested 23 demonstrators. They declared another demonstration to be a "riot" late on Sunday, saying that a group of more than 200 protesters lit fires and attacked officers with lasers, rocks and bottles. 

Read more: Donald Trump slammed for using unmarked federal agents against Portland protesters

Portland police said last week that they had declared riots 17 times between May 29 and August 19.

In July, US President Donald Trump's administration deployed federal forces to Portland to crack down on the protests, despite an outcry on the part of local and state authorities. On Friday, Trump called the demonstrations "crazy" and said cities run by Democrats had descended into chaos.