PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The Portland Police Bureau declared another riot around midnight Saturday following more heated confrontations with protesters.
PPB said members of the crowd protesting in the parking lot of the Penumbra Kelly Building began launching mortars at police cars before throwing other items at officers. PPB said several rocks were thrown at police — some causing injury.
“Portland Fire & Rescue treated two Portland Police members injured by rocks thrown by individuals in the crowd,” PPB said in a release issued early Sunday morning. “Both of them went to the hospital for further treatment.”
“One of the rocks weighed 9.5 pounds and was thrown by a person in a group of people wearing ‘press’ as the officer prepared to ride away in a truck,” according to police.
PPB said the agency could not immdiately respond to “over 60 calls” around the city Saturday because of the protesting and subsequent riot. Call types ranged from theft, vandalism, suspicious activity, hazards, hit and run, burglary, violation of restraining order, alarms, stolen cars, harassment, according to PPB.
On Sunday, police said 11 people were arrested after a riot was declared Saturday night into Sunday morning. Of those 11, six people were charged with assaulting a police officer, among other things such as disorderly conduct. The full list of arrests can be viewed online here.
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Protesters held a line of shields at the Penumbra Kelly Building in Southeast Portland for hours Saturday before a riot was declared on the 79th consecutive night of demonstrations for Black Lives Matter and against racism and police brutality.
The Saturday night march started at Laurelhurst Park around 8 p.m.
An hour later, hundreds of people had marched to the Penumbra Kelly Building, a shared facility of the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office and Portland Police Bureau, on E Burnside and 47th Ave. Portland police began making announcements over the LRAD “reminding the crowd not to engage in violence or criminal activity or trespass.”
Protesters held a front line with wooden shields and umbrellas and chanted “Black Lives Matter” to the beat of a drum. This holding pattern continued for roughly an hour. At random intervals, individuals placed water bottles on the driveway of the property or dashed to grab traffic cones.
Shortly after 11 p.m. the front line of protesters inched their shields forward, which prompted another warning from police over the loudspeaker. On two separate occasions, commercial grade fireworks were set off near the building. A couple of people were seen banging on the building and spray painting it. The shield wall of protesters again inched forward. Police continued with their announcements and reported on Twitter that some people were seen “throwing rocks on the east side of the building.”
In addition, at just before midnight a KOIN 6 News reporter saw a group of four people driven out of the crowd with lights, lasers and taunts being directed at them by the larger group near the intersection of E Burnside and 47th. Multiple witnesses at the time alleged they thought they were right wing counter demonstrators, but that was not confirmed firsthand.
At midnight, police declared a riot.
Crowd control munitions quickly followed–smoke munitions, not tear gas. At least one arrest was made. On Twitter, police said, “People are continually throwing softball size rocks, glass bottles and other objects at police. People have spray painted over security cameras and committed other acts of vandalism. People are trespassing on the property.”
Officers pushed people–shoving some to the ground–out of the area to the west, all the way back to Laurelhurst Park where the gathering began.
Follow digital reporter Danny Peterson for updates throughout the night:
Patriot Prayer rally unravels in clash with counter-protesters
Earlier Saturday, at about 12:30 p.m., an alt-right “patriot” rally was attended by about 30 at the Multnomah County Justice Center, some of whom were holding firearms. The rally was met with Black Lives Matter counter-protesters and a clash ensued that included mace, paintballs, an explosion, and witnesses hearing live rounds being fired.
No one was reported to have been hit with the live bullets. KOIN 6 News photographer Robby Sherman did capture one of the shells and tweeted that the rounds were directed at BLM counter-protesters, according to witnesses.
No police presence was made at the skirmish, even after the clash and apparent live rounds were let off. A Portland Police Bureau spokesperson said they were “unaware of any evidence that there was gunfire.”
Friday
Four arrests were made overnight in a confrontation between Portland police and protesters near Peninsula Park. The actions took place between 10 p.m. and 3:30 a.m., in which police said protesters launched commercial grade fireworks, golf balls, large river rock, glass bottles, ball bearings and palm sized chunks of concrete from sling shots at officers.
PPB: 4 arrests, concrete thrown at officers on 78th night of protests
The group of over 100 were confronted shortly after leaving the park by officers, who attempted to clear the streets just a couple of blocks from the park. An unlawful assembly was declared nnear PCC Cascades Campus shortly after 10:30 p.m. Police rushed the crowd repeatedly in riot gear throughout the night. Officers and protesters pushed back and forth from neighborhood streets toward the direction of Portland Police Association building near N Lombard St. and back late into the night.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly described a gathering as a Patriot Prayer rally, but the group did not organize the event. However some members of Patriot Prayer were in attendance. We regret the error.