PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — After a mostly peaceful night of protests in Portland, Portland Police Bureau say they arrested over a dozen people.
The fourth consecutive night of protests spurred by the death of George Floyd brought what may have been the largest crowd to downtown Portland, filling pioneer courthouse square and surrounding streets. Organizers worked to maintain peace and their efforts largely worked despite a handful of provocateurs.
Earlier in the day the protesters were fanned out in the Northeast and Southeast quadrants as well as in the downtown area. But after the curfew began at 8 p.m., the groups coalesced downtown.
Organizers did their best to maintain a peaceful atmosphere and their efforts worked. Demonstrators made an effort to communicate with the PPB’s demonstrator liaison officers throughout the night.
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PPB tweeted: “We have not witnessed any vandalism or destruction. This has been an hours’ long protest that has remained peaceful. Thank you and we see you and hear you!”
Shortly after 10 p.m. the crowd left Pioneer Courthouse Square and began marching across the Burnside Bridge again. At 11 p.m. organizers said they were ending the rally at SE 13th and Stark. Anything that may happen after that is not connected with this rally, they said.
Shortly before midnight, police say a crowd of about 100 people gathered at Southwest 4th Avenue and Salmon Street. Those protesters began throwing projectiles at police, such as glass bottles and rocks, which injured at least one officer.
After an unsuccessful attempt at notifying the protesters that they were required to disperse, PPB said officers used crowd control munitions and began detaining people. The crowd was diffused by 1 a.m.
Police say they arrested over a dozen people and seized two guns during this time, but information on those arrests has not yet been released.
We do know that one arrest was made after a young woman was driving through the protests handing out supplies, but then fled the scene and hit multiple cars while doing so. Police tracked her down and arrested her at Southeast 14th Avenue and Franklin Street.
Chief Resch said she got to sit down with a few of the peaceful demonstration organizers at the central precinct to talk change.
“We got to sit down with them and have an open and honest discussion,” Resch said.
They had some ideas about different ways PPB officers cant interact with the community and suggested different people in the community in which to interact with.
“They never once mentioned hatred toward the police, they were supportive of the actions that we do honorably,” Resch said. “The majority of our community is supportive of us — for when we do the right thing — and we need to be able to hold ourselves accountable when those of us do not act in a professional manner.”