In what was ultimately declared a riot by law enforcement, a group calling for the burning down of police precincts in “every city” marched through a Portland neighborhood late Tuesday night.
The incident comes as Portland has been rocked by over two months of violent riots, and saw an explosion in violent crime last month.
In one of the numerous videos that was posted to social media on Tuesday night, rioters could be heard chanting, “Every city, every town. Burn the precincts to the ground.”
WATCH:
Antifa in Portland: "Every city, every town. Burn the precincts to the ground." pic.twitter.com/Sof0D4puLb
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) August 5, 2020
KOIN News reporter Hannah Ray Lambert tweeted out numerous videos of the rioters, including when law enforcement officials advanced to clear them out of the area.
Pushing people to Lombard and Denver. Also, that may not have been tear gas because none of the officers i see are wearing gas masks. pic.twitter.com/QJxP32dkxS
— Hannah Ray Lambert (@TheHannahRay) August 5, 2020
A smoky (but not spicy) retreat. Some demonstrators are trying to reassemble the barricades now. pic.twitter.com/mbHeaz6slm
— Hannah Ray Lambert (@TheHannahRay) August 5, 2020
Rioters also appeared to attempt to set a building on fire by lighting cardboard on fire and setting it up against the building.
“Some people put flaming cardboard up against the building,” Lambert tweeted. “Then the person in the flag cape started putting it out. Some people yelled that they were a cop.”
Some people put flaming cardboard up against the building. Then the person in the flag cape started putting it out. Some people yelled that they were a cop. pic.twitter.com/HqE4vL0mPm
— Hannah Ray Lambert (@TheHannahRay) August 5, 2020
“Some people in the crowd on N. Lombard St. and N. Campbell Ave are involved in criminal activity. It appears these people are trying to break into the Portland Police Association office,” the Portland Police Department said in a statement. “To those attempting to break into and/or damage the Portland Police Association building: Stop now or you may be cited, arrested, or subject to use of force. If you are at this location to peacefully protest, know this criminal behavior is occurring and leave the area now.”
Portland Police initially declared the march an “unlawful assembly” and instructed people to “disperse immediately” before ultimately declaring the situation a riot.
“A riot has been declared at N Lombard St and N Campbell Ave,” the department continued. “You are ordered to disperse to the south immediately. Failure to comply with this order may subject you to citation or arrest, and may subject you to the use of crowd control agents and/or impact weapons.”
A riot has been declared at N Lombard St and N Campbell Ave. You are ordered to disperse to the south immediately.
Failure to comply with this order may subject you to citation or arrest, and may subject you to the use of crowd control agents and/or impact weapons.
— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) August 5, 2020
U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams, the chief federal law enforcement official in Oregon since 2015, slammed the media during a recent interview over many reporters’ refusal to accurately report on what was happening.
“These aren’t late night demonstrations. This is criminal activity,” Williams responded. “There’s a difference. What you have failed, and the media have failed to distinguish, between – you seem unwilling to call people engaged in criminal conduct, as criminals, as opposed to lawful protesting.”
“This is unlawful,” Williams continued. “And people, whether you’re an opportunist, an antagonist, an agitator, or an anarchist, call it out for what it is.”
“You’re choosing terms that sort of downplay the criminal activity, and what I’m suggesting is if there is an honest accounting of what this is, that helps build the reality check for how this can stop,” Williams later added. “That’s my point.”