PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Oregon Governor Kate Brown rescinded her order on Sunday that established a temporary joint incident command structure for law enforcement in Portland. The move followed the conclusion of Saturday’s planned demonstrations by the far-right, designated hate group Proud Boys.
On Friday, Brown made Multnomah County Sheriff Mike Reese and Oregon State Police Superintendent Travis Hampton joint incident commanders of Portland for a 48-hour period. The agencies had been brought in to assist the Portland Police Bureau in preventing violence and containing clashes between demonstrators and counter-demonstrators surrounding the Proud Boys’ presence.
Brown’s comments on Proud Boy rally
“I would like to thank the law enforcement officers of the Oregon State Police, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, the Portland Police Bureau, and other local law enforcement agencies for their professionalism as they executed this plan to prevent confrontations and violence,” said Governor Brown Sunday. “I would also like to thank Oregonians for not rising to the bait when the Proud Boys came from out of town to express their hateful views yesterday. When we all work together as a community to keep the peace, we can keep Oregonians safe while still allowing free expression under the First Amendment.”
Dozens of people began to show up two hours before the planned Proud Boys rally that officially began at noon at Delta Park. Some packed into the beds of pickup trucks, and many were wearing some sort of militarized body armor — including helmets and protective vests.
Two other simultaneous rallies at Peninsula Park and at Vanport brought large crowds to hear speakers and act in solidarity for their stance against what they see as growing fascism in this country. There were no large interactions between the groups, which were relatively close to each other but separated by a large police presence.
Justice Center demonstration addressed
While the afternoon demonstration was the primary reason for the “Unified Command,” law enforcement worked late into the night as they monitored a protest that had formed outside the Justice Center in downtown Portland, starting around 8 p.m. Hundreds of people gathered on the portion of SW 3rd Avenue and an unlawful assembly was declared shortly before midnight. On Sunday, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said 30 arrests had been made.
Later Sunday evening, Brown addressed the previous night’s demonstration on Twitter, where she called for the heads of each agency–Oregon State Police, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, and Portland Police Bureau–to “review any alleged incidents involving officers from each of their agencies during joint operations last night.”
She said she took the “use of physical force by law enforcement officers seriously, whether it involves members of the public or the media.”