Wheeler, Hardesty address protesters; later 20 arrested

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Protests in Portland continued on Friday for the eighth consecutive day. Several other demonstrations outside the city, in towns such as Hillsboro, Bethany, and Silverton also happened in tandem.

Friday evening, Mayor Ted Wheeler and Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty each addressed the gathered protesters in what was a largely peaceful demonstration until late in the night.

Photos: 8th night of Portland protests

Here is a timeline of events from June 5, 2020:

2 a.m. June 6, 2020

Between 11:30 p.m, and 2 a.m., police said protesters threw “fireworks, glass bottles, cans of food and full beverages, and bricks” at them. A vehicle that appeared to be a support for members of the crowd began driving recklessly and nearly hit some in the crowd. Police were able to stop the vehicle without any injuries.

A total of 17 adults and 1 juvenile were detained in the early morning hours and three more adults were arrested and cited, PPB said. Those arrests and charges include:

• Justin Parcells, 25-year-old, disorderly conduct, interfering with a peace officer
• Sofia Murphy, 25-year-old, disorderly conduct, interfering with a peace officer, harassment
• Britannia Cortez, 23-year-old, disorderly conduct, interfering with a peace officer
• Rene Rangez Jr., 25-year-old, interfering with a peace officer
• Fahiym Acuay, 39-year-old, interfering with a peace officer
• Damien Gaustad, 21-year-old, criminal mischief, interfering with a peace officer
• Pablo Gonzales, 21-year-old, disorderly conduct, interfering with a peace officer
• Rachel Walsh, 34-year-old, two counts of interfering with a peace officer
• Lydia Stolt, 20-year-old, disorderly conduct, interfering with a peace officer
• Timothy Swenson, 36-year-old, disorderly Conduct, interfering with a peace officer
• Daria Kent, 19-year-old, interfering with a peace officer
• Berkeley Franklin, 20-year-old, interfering with a peace officer
• Jonathan Tellez, 21-year-old, reckless driving, attempt to elude
• Sara Muiarski, 18-year old, disorderly conduct, interfering with a peace officer
• Julian Biggs, 21-year-old, interfering with a peace officer
• William Keith, 28-year-old, interfering with a peace officer
• Jason Johnson, 21-year-old, interfering with a peace officer

11 p.m.

At 11:07 p.m. Portland police declared the demonstration outside the Justice Center an “unlawful assembly” and told the crowd that it was “a civil disturbance” on Twitter. Police threatened “use of force” on those who did not leave the area.

“The area of SW Lincoln to W Burnside, Naito to Burnside is now closed. Leave now,” said Portland police.

Police said officers were being hit with slingshot rounds and said some individuals were pointing lasers at the officers driving the sound truck.

At 11:39 p.m. a Portland police spokesperson told media to leave the area due to safety concerns.

Despite multiple warnings to disperse, protesters pushed the fence over. Deputies deployed smoke as a deterrent. When smoke was not effective, gas was deployed. There are approx. 400 people inside the Justice Center. We're legally& morally responsible for their health and safety.

— Multnomah Co Sheriff (@MultCoSO) June 6, 2020

Also around 11 p.m., Portland Police Chief Jami Resch responded to calls for police to stop using tear gas on demonstrators.

“I am in close communication with Mayor Wheeler about the use of gas and some of the community’s concerns. We continue to evaluate the best resource options to achieve our number one priority for all events, which is life safety, along with the reduction of serious injury for all,” said Resch via Twitter.

10 p.m.

After the speakers finished their talks in the Waterfront’s Punch Bowl, the event formally concluded and marchers began the trek back to Revolution Hall. Some people headed over to the Justice Center where a second demonstration was still ongoing, while others went home for the night.

Shortly after 10 p.m., Portland Police tweeted that some individuals were tampering with the fence set up outside the Justice Center.

“We continue to message to [the] crowd in front of the Justice Center to stop tampering with the fence and to not throw projectiles at officers. We want this to be a peaceful demonstration,” said police.

What is LRAD? PPB explain their ‘sonic tone’ device

9 p.m.

Portland City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty spoke to thousands of people gathered at Waterfront Park. She shared her experience of first getting elected and the police reform she has been “advocating for, for 30 years.”

After her speech, she spoke with KOIN 6 News reporter Jennifer Dowling about what these ongoing protests have meant to her.

“I just want these young people to know that they are heading a revolution that’s about justice,” said Hardesty. “And I just want to encourage them to keep doing what they’re doing — they are having an impact. I’m getting calls from the congressional delegation all the way to the governor: ‘What can we do? What can we do?'”

Hardesty said she was doing her part at the city-level, as well as identifying things at the state-level that her constituents can work on to affect change.

“We have to take this opportunity to fundamentally change—no more lip service to equality.”

The Commissioner commended the young people she witnessed organizing and protesting in Portland this last week. Hardesty said she has “never seen anything like this” in her life.

8 p.m.

Thousands of people marched down Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard chanting “no justice, no peace,” and “hands up, don’t shoot.” Minutes before 8 p.m. the march had made it to the Hawthorne Bridge and began to cross. Shortly after 8 p.m., the crowd of demonstrators arrived at the Waterfront Park in the Punchbowl.

At one point, a couple of demonstrators burned a US flag on the Portland Police memorial at Waterfront Park.

Elsewhere in downtown Portland, a second group of protesters gathered in Chapman Square. Mayor Ted Wheeler stood at the Promised Land Statue with organizers in front of the crowd. He first listened to an organizer speak about the lack of funding and access Black children have available to them in North Portland public schools.

“Education is the single most important thing all of us can do for our society,” responded Wheeler into the megaphone and promised the crowd that the City of Portland would push the state for more funding for education. “And we will focus those resources on communities that have been disproportionately impacted by negative educational outcomes.”

7 p.m.

An organizer at Revolution Hall told KOIN 6 News that today’s focus was the voices of Black women and transgender people, and additionally called for justice for Breonna Taylor, who would have turned 27 years old today.

Then protesters mobilized and began marching from 13th and Stark on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

Portland police advised drivers to be aware of the demonstrators via Twitter as they made their way from the east side to the west.

6 p.m.

Protesters gathered at Revolution Hall in Southeast Portland for the eighth night of demonstrations. Vancouver protesters gathered in their downtown.

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler announced on Twitter that he’s instructed the Portland Police Bureau to stop using their Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) “as a sonic warning tone function.” Effective immediately, officers are only to use LRAD to share information.

Meanwhile, in Hillsboro, demonstrators who didn’t make the trip into the city rallied in their own neighborhoods. Families, students, and other community members gathered outside the Hillsboro Civic Center to listen as people took turns sharing their experiences with racism and systemic injustice. At one point they took a knee and remained silent for nearly nine minutes—the same amount of time an officer held his knee on George Floyd’s neck.

5 p.m.

Protesters gathered in Woodstock and in West Linn.

4 p.m.

Washington County families in the Bethany area marched from Springville Presbyterian Church to the Bethany Fountain. The crowd reached the size of roughly 200 people, and they were later joined by uniformed members of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

3 p.m.

Protests took place in Silverton.