Twenty-four people were arrested, officers were doused in chemicals, and a police sergeant was sent to the hospital as Portland protestors continued their demonstrations.
It’s been more than 120 days of unrest in Portland, Oregon, as people gather and march in the name of #BlackLivesMatter amid the slew of police killings of Black people. On Monday night into early Tuesday, protesters came together outside the police union building, and things quickly escalated between demonstrators and law enforcement. A month or so back, police officers were recorded shooting protesters with “non-lethal” bullets, with one hitting a demonstrator in the head, sending him to the hospital with severe injuries.
Now, crowds have been spraying officers with chemical irritants while marching toward the Portland Police Association headquarters in the Kenton Neighborhood, according to Fox News.
A sergeant was also punched in the face and transported to a local hospital during the demonstration. Fox News reports that the protest was “unpermitted” despite citizens’ rights to peacefully protest. Police say “posture of the gathering suggested that it would become violent,” and they decided to try to take the shields, which protestors have been using to protect themselves from police brutality, to “lower the likelihood that members of the gathering would use the shields to protect those intent on committing crimes such as throwing objects at police.”
One of the people arrested was reportedly driving “dangerously,” Fox News reports, with a red cross, acting as medical transport. Officers stopped the car and found a loaded handgun inside. Reports say the driver, who was uninsured, was also driving without a seatbelt and failed to signal a turn. Police are investigating the firearm that was found. Police also arrested several people in the crowd who got in the way of them “performing their lawful duties,” according to a press release.
Officers reportedly warned protesters to disperse, but instead, people continued to march toward the offices of the Portland Police Association, which “have been the focus of numerous violent and destructive protests in recent months.” Crowds eventually left around 1:30 a.m. with the early morning ending with 24 arrests. They were booked into the Multnomah County Jail on various charges, including interfering with a peace officer, disorderly conduct, escape, menacing, and harassment, Fox News reports.
