Violence continued in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday night into Sunday morning as a “peaceful protest” once again became a riot, with activists blockading streets, setting fire to the police union offices, and attacking local police.
According to a press statement by the Portland Police Department, several protests had been peaceful on Saturday until a march Saturday evening blocked traffic illegally outside the offices of the Portland Police Association, the local police union. “People within the crowd committed crimes when they erected a fence, pushed dumpsters into the street to block traffic, set a dumpster on fire, vandalized the PPA office with spray paint, and destroyed security cameras,” police said.
According to journalist Andy Ngô, members of the extremist group Antifa disabled an external security camera at the building:
Antifa black bloc climb up the Portland Police union building to disable the security camera. A moment ago they were trying to break inside again. No police in sight. #PortlandRiots pic.twitter.com/KQ6di75Gvc
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) August 9, 2020
The rioters then succeeded in breaking into the building, knocking through plywood and setting a fire inside it:
Breaking: Portland Police declared a riot. #Antifa broke inside the union hall and set the inside on fire. This is the third time they’ve broken into the police union and the second time they set fire inside. #PortlandRiots pic.twitter.com/wC2gKhzLcL
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) August 9, 2020
A riot was declared after a group broke into the @PPAVigil offices, started a fire, and continued to feed the fire more fuel. This is a terribly dangerous situation. Officers moved the crowd so the fire could be extinguished before it could grow out of control. https://t.co/GyBrgqcK0e
— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) August 9, 2020
The Portland Police Department released a Ring video showing surveillance footage of the fire as it burned inside:
Overnight on 8–9 Aug, hundreds of antifa descended on the @PortlandPolice union building again in north Portland. They blocked the road, started street fires & tried to burn down the union hall again. Video from inside shows the arson attack #PortlandRiots https://t.co/WAvyCdYjVm pic.twitter.com/mpHi9fQAcr
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) August 9, 2020
The crowd had also set several fires throughout the town, and had built several barricades, some apparently aflame, all over northern Portland. According to Ngô, rioters also threatened local residents who were watching the scene unfold:
Breaking: Black bloc rioters have started another fire blockade in the middle of the street in north Portland after setting the @PortlandPolice union hall on fire. This is a business and residential area. #PortlandRiots #antifa pic.twitter.com/A5qDskODT9
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) August 9, 2020
Police attempted to disperse the crowd, and were attacked with glass bottles and lasers. Some officers were injured:
Time to use the water Cannons on these filthy creatures full blast time to deport all of them
Give them what they ask for, it will never ever satisfy their lust for destruction of our culture and country.
Portland Police have abandoned their city. It’s on them.
Why do they protest in one of the most liberal cities in the country? If liberalism can’t satisfy them… what can? WHO can?
Perhaps all they want is a soft place to commit lots of violence.
A one way trip to the Amazon no returns all these violent jerks need to go