PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Business owners whose windows were smashed in Monday night’s demonstration are mad at city leaders for not doing more to prevent groups from vandalizing their storefronts.
One man told KOIN 6 that members of the mob hit him and pushed him as he was leaving the Waterfront Blues Fest at Waterfront Park. Police say he filed a police report.
Saadi Nikoo, owner of Art of Persia, said a group dressed in all black came and smashed a window around 10 p.m. Monday. He says his business has been downtown for 40 years and that violence around his store has been going on for the last few years.
“Our windows got broken seven times, and our merchandise was damaged and thrown on the street. We’ve been dealing with this, no protection. We’re on our own,” he said. “It’s a dilemma, no one is doing anything.”
Nikoo also shared with KOIN 6 that he’s angry with city leadership and believes they’re not doing enough to prevent the violence.
“I want the law to be enforced,” he said. “(It) seems like we’re a lawless land now.”
Dozens of protesters marched from Lownsdale Square through downtown Portland streets, smashing windows at numerous businesses, July 4, 2022 (KOIN) 
Dozens of protesters marched from Lownsdale Square through downtown Portland streets, smashing windows including these at Bank of America and SW 5th and Salmon, July 4, 2022 (KOIN) 
Dozens of protesters marched through the streets of downtown Portland and smashed windows at multiple businesses, July 4, 2022 (KOIN)
Tuesday, City Commissioner Mingus Mapps told KOIN 6 that none of what the marchers did “is legitimate political speech.”
Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty said that these types of events “frighten local residents, including our most vulnerable community members, and oftentimes hurt large well-organized protest movements fighting for meaningful societal change.”
The FBI says they are aware of the incident on Monday night and are “working with our law enforcement partners and within federal guidelines to determine, what, if any, specific FBI action is warranted.”
In a statement, PPB told KOIN 6 that “it is important to remember that although arrests are not always made at the scene, when tensions are high, this does not mean that people are not being charged with crimes later.”