PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Portland police declared an unlawful assembly Friday night as hundreds of people gathered near a shared law enforcement building on the east side of the city during the 71st consecutive day of protests.
About 200-400 people gathered at Laurelhurst Park and started marching to the Penumbra Kelly Building at East Burnside Street and NE 47th Avenue, a building shared by the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office and the Portland Police Bureau. The poster for the event, which was tweeted by the group Pacific Northwest Youth Liberation Front, advertised the event as “No cops. No Prison. Total Abolition.” and also in support of Black Lives Matter. The poster invited people to “wear black / stay together / stay tight.”
Officers declared an unlawful assembly almost immediately after the crowd arrived at the Penumbra Kelly Building just before 10 p.m. They said protesters broke apart a retaining wall at a nearby property and threw chunks of concrete and rocks at officers. Some in the crowd were also accused of shining lasers at officers’ faces.
Around midnight officers deployed crowd control munitions–smoke–not tear gas. Protesters responded by throwing eggs at officers, according to PPB. Police said the crowd also blocked all lanes of traffic on East Burnside Street, not allowing cars to pass.
One individual was detained by police in the course of the night when they stepped upon the building’s premises after the unlawful assembly declaration. Another person was arrested for shining a laser at PPB’s air unit around midnight.
Police said some protesters made their own spike strips by using pool noodles were filled with nails. As a result, one police vehicle suffered extensive tire damage, according to PPB.
Shortly after 1 a.m., police said they dispersed the crowd east after people continued to throw rocks and explosive devices at them.
By 2:30 a.m., the majority of the crowd had left the area.
The usual gathering in front of the Multnomah County Justice Center was also scheduled for around 7:30 p.m., including by the group Asian Bloc. By 1 a.m., the area around the Justice Center was almost completely empty.
On Saturday, police said 24 people were arrested in connection to protests from the previous night into the early morning. The majority of charges include interfering with a police officer and disorderly conduct. A complete log of arrests can be found online.
Police also reported that an Oregon State Trooper was injured when that officer was struck in the head with a large rock.
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Earlier in the day a March for Black LGBTQ+ Solidarity was planned at 4:30 p.m. to meet across from Obryant Square at SW 9th Ave. and Harvey Milk St. It was organized by the non-violent Black youth-led group Fridays 4 Freedom, according to the website Portland Black Lives Matter Events.
In addition, a Beaverton March for Black Lives was organized for 5 p.m. at Beaverton City Hall.
Night 70
Groups of people clashed with Portland police outside the East Precinct Thursday after people vandalized the building, including splashing it with paint and starting a fire in a trash can. Two women present at the gathering attempted to stop the vandalism and they were both harassed by others clad in black. A dozen arrests were made, police used smoke munition–but not tear gas–while clearing the streets and PPB said they recovered a loaded gun from one who was arrested.