Portland police make 2 more arrests in mass protest
(Updates with 5 men indicted in demonstrations)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Police announced two more arrests Friday in the aftermath of clashes between right-wing and left-wing demonstrators in Portland.
In a probable-cause affidavit, prosecutors said Antonio Scott Zamora, 33, was one of many “affiliates of Antifa” — many wearing masks — who surrounded two buses filled with members of the far-right groups Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer as they attempted to leave the city in heavy traffic.
Bystander videos of the attack on the buses went viral in the days after the Aug 17 demonstrations.
One video shows left-wing demonstrators — loosely organized and self-described anti-fascists, or “antifa” — rushing the bus when someone opens the door and exchanging blows with those inside.
Zamora kicked the windows of one bus and threw a heavy object at the back window of the other bus as it pulled away, the affidavit states.
Police also said they arrested Hannah Ahern, 24, of the Portland suburb of Tigard, on a charge of disorderly conduct but provided no details.
An attorney was not listed for Ahern in court files. She has not yet made a court appearance.
Zamora was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of riot, disorderly conduct and criminal mischief. He requested a public defender but has not yet been assigned an attorney.
A phone number for Zamora could not be found. He is expected to be arraigned Sept. 11.
Authorities say Zamora was wearing a distinctive rainbow-colored ski mask and a teal shirt during the incident. Police identified him when an officer found a photo from Aug. 17 that showed Zamora in the same shirt with a rainbow ski mask hanging from his belt, the affidavit says.
The officer recognized Zamora from prior contacts, court papers say, noting that a search of his home found the teal shirt and rainbow ski mask.
Police have now arrested 15 people on charges related to the protests on Aug. 17 and continue to investigate.
Also on Friday, a grand jury in Portland indicted five men on felony riot and other charges related to the demonstrations, according to Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill.
Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson on Wednesday pleaded not guilty to a federal charge of felony riot for a May 1 fight between “antifa” and right-wing affiliates at a Portland bar after a day of demonstrations.
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Follow Gillian Flaccus on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/gflaccus
