Thousands of people peacefully demonstrated for a fifth night in downtown Portland. They're protesting the in-custody death of George Floyd.
The peaceful demonstration at Pioneer Courthouse Square concluded around 10:00 p.m. with thousands peacefully marching back to Revolution Hall.
At about 11:15 p.m., hundreds of protestors assembled again at the fencing located at Southwest 4th Avenue and Southwest Taylor Street. The group remained peaceful for about 30 minutes.
At about 11:45 p.m. the protestors again started throwing projectiles at officers. The protesters again were admonished this was an unlawful assembly and they needed to leave. Protesters from the 4th level of a nearby parking garage started throwing large objects at officers. Crowd control munitions were used to disperse the crowd.
At about 12:20 a.m., a large group of protesters started using barricades to block the intersection of southwest 6th Avenue and Southwest Yamhill Street. Pallets and other items were being used to create a large pile. A bucket of what was believed to be an accelerant was poured on the large pile of items by a protestor. There was significant concern about the dangerousness of the situation and life safety risk for those in the vicinity. It again was announced this was a civil disturbance and people needed to leave the area now. Officers drove through the large pile of items to prevent the pile from being ignited.
There is a widely circulating news video showing a police vehicle striking a barricade near Southwest 6th Avenue and Yamhill Street. PPB command staff are researching the circumstances surrounding this incident.
The crowd fractured into smaller groups, for about several hours. Protestors set fires, created mayhem, and civil disturbance. Officers made arrests and continued to disperse the small groups. Most of the groups had dispersed around 2 a.m.
PPB members were joined in partnership by members of the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office, Washington County Sheriff's Office, Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, Vancouver Police Department, Gresham Police Department, Port of Portland Police Department, Oregon State Police and the National Guard. These teams effectively worked together to ensure the safety for all persons in the City of Portland. Some of the partner agencies managed emergency calls for service not related to the demonstration, while others assisted with crowd management.
Officers arrested or detained over a dozen individuals. Information is still being gathered about those arrested and the charges; this information will be updated when it is available. One firearm and a replica firearm were seized from two separate individuals who were arrested.
"I want to recognize the thousands of demonstrators who came downtown in a peaceful manner and exercised their first amendment rights," said Chief Jami Resch. "There are many thousands of you who are not involved in violence and destruction and I thank you. I still hear your message and know the others who are engaging in criminal acts do not represent you. Many others aggressively engaged in acts of violence directed at the police tonight. Fireworks, bottles, bats, ball bearings, batteries and other projectiles were thrown at police throughout the night. Every day is a different situation and events unfold at a rapid pace. I ask if demonstrators are planning to come downtown in the coming days to avoid bringing children, heed sound truck warnings and obey lawful orders."