Portland rioters set fire to county government building
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Rioters in Portland broke out the windows of a county government building, sprayed lighter fluid inside and set a fire in a demonstration that started Tuesday night and ended Wednesday morning with clashes with police, officials said.
The fire at the Multnomah Building damaged the county government’s office of community involvement, where Oregon’s first gay marriage took place and where protective gear has been distributed to try to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, said Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury.
“This is the heart of our county, where people in our community come to get married, get their passports, and celebrate their cultural traditions and diversity,” she said in a statement.
Demonstrations that often turn violent have gripped Oregon’s biggest city for more than two months following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Participants have repeatedly broken into the offices of a police union headquarters building miles away from downtown, and last month clashed for weeks with federal agents dispatched to protect a U.S. courthouse targeted by protesters.
Portland officers late Tuesday declared a riot outside the county building after demonstrators among a crowd of about 200 started fires in dumpsters, used rocks to smash first floor windows and tossed burning material inside that set the fire that set off fire alarms and the building’s sprinkler system, police said in a statement early Wednesday.
The riot declaration allows officers to use crowd control methods, such as tear gas or flash bang devices. Police said in their statement that some unspecified “crowd control munitions” were used to disperse the crowd, but that officers did not use tear gas.
Two protesters were arrested and one police officer suffered minor injuries in scuffles as police broke up the demonstration, the statement said.
The fire damaged the lobby where Oregon’s first gay marriage happened in 2004, Kafoury said.
She asked residents to support the community involvement office, adding that “there is grave injustice in our world and there is a violent and tragic history of oppression in our County. I am committed to transformational change.”
“In such a difficult, uncertain time, our community needs all of us to work together,” Kafoury added.
Police on Tuesday also identified a suspect accused of punching and kicking a man to the ground after he crashed his pickup truck on a sidewalk near ongoing demonstrations.
Authorities received Sunday night of protesters chasing a truck a few blocks from the downtown federal courthouse. The driver crashed and was then assaulted, authorities said.
Authorities are trying to track down the suspect, Marquise Love, 25, police said in a statement. The victim of the assault has been released from a hospital and is recovering.
A social media account apparently connected to Love has been disabled and efforts to locate him for comment were not immediately successful.
Portland Police Bureau news release:
Individuals Light Fire, Break Windows, and Vandalize Building during Mass Gathering at Multnomah Building (Photo)
Portland Police Bureau - 08/19/20 1:52 AM
In the evening hours of August 18, 2020, a group of several hundred people gathered in Colonel Sumners Park located on the 1800 block of Southeast Taylor Street for a march that began around 9 p.m. The march proceeded west to the 500 block of Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard which is where the Multnomah Building is located. During the march, streets were blocked to vehicular traffic by support vehicles associated with the group.
When the group reached the Multnomah Building, they blocked traffic on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard at Southeast Grand Avenue. Several people in the crowd were seen carrying shields and wearing helmets and gas masks. Many of the group members began to vandalize the Multnomah Building with graffiti. Around 10 p.m., several people started a large dumpster fire near Southeast 6th Avenue and Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard. Another fire was started in a dumpster and the dumpster was then rolled towards the southwest side of the Multnomah Building by members of the group. During this time, small fires were lit outside of the Multnomah Building and people in the group began cracking the glass windows of the building. Several windows were cracked, and some windows were broken completely open when group members threw large rocks at them.
At 10:15 p.m., members in the group started throwing ignited paper inside of the Multnomah Building in an attempt to start a fire. When this did not work, members of the group began spraying lighter fluid inside of the building. After spraying lighter fluid inside of the building, someone in the crowd threw a large burning object inside of the building. This action created a fire big enough to set the fire alarms and sprinkler system off inside of the building.
Because the crowd blocked traffic, started several dumpster fires, vandalized the building not limited to graffiti but also broke windows, and successfully started a fire inside the building, the gathering was declared a riot. Several public address announcements were made to the crowd, informing them a riot had been declared and they needed to disperse immediately to the north. The crowd was informed that if they failed to disperse it could result in citation or arrest, those who did not disperse would also be subjected to tear gas, crowd control munitions, or impact weapons. Despite several warnings, the crowd remained outside of the Multnomah Building.
At 10:32 p.m., Portland Police officers began dispersing the crowd. As the crowd was dispersed, officers were hit with projectiles. Around 11:26 p.m., the crowd began walking back towards the Multnomah Building. Once again several public address announcements were made to the crowd reminding them a riot had been declared. Again, Portland Police began dispersing the crowd, during the dispersal, a member of the crowd threw a rock at the sound truck. During dispersals, an officers sustained a minor injury.
Around 12:25 a.m., the group marched back to Colonel Sumners Park and soon after dispersed from the area.
Two arrests were made during the event. 23-year-old Jesse Hawk was arrested and charged with riot, interfering with a peace officer, resisting arrest, unlawful use of a weapon (two charges), assaulting a public safety officer (two charges), harassment (two charges), disorderly conduct II, and attempt escape. 40-year-old Peter Curtis was arrested and charged with attempt criminal mischief I, and reckless endangering.
Some crowd control munitions were used during dispersal. No CS gas was used.
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(PORTLAND, Ore.) – Today, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt released a statement regarding the criminal conduct that occurred overnight at the Multnomah Building.
“The violent and intentional criminal behavior that occurred at the Multnomah Building is the antithesis to the work Multnomah County and its dedicated and diverse staff is doing daily to uplift, support and improve our community. The people working in the Multnomah Building serve a critical mission to the county’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic that continues to adversely impact marginalized communities. Breaking out windows, setting fires and committing assaults will not bring the much needed reform we need. I join Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury, Multnomah County Sheriff Mike Reese and others in working with our community to bring about transformational change. I continue to condemn this violence. As Sheriff Reese said, it has no legitimate purpose. This destructive and illegal behavior needs to stop.”
Chief Lovell's Statement on Arson to Multnomah County Building and Call to Action
Portland Police Bureau - 08/19/20 12:23 PM
The destruction at the Multnomah Building last night occurred on yet another night of senseless criminal activity in the City of Portland. Breaking windows, using accelerants to ensure a fire catches and damaging property are not solutions, but further demonstrate the intent to engage in anarchy at the expense of the entire community.
To effect change, we must work to build and not destroy. This is more than property paid for by community members; these buildings host critical materials and spaces that provide essential services and support to our community at large. The damage is costing millions of dollars that could be used to help people during an already challenging time.
Officers continue to respond each night, knowing they will have rocks, fireworks, and more thrown at them. They see the injuries sustained by their co-workers and wonder if this will be the night they are injured as well. Officers continue to respond in order to protect life and safety and arrest those responsible for criminal acts. Morale is low as they face what appears to be endless destruction within the City they took an oath to serve and protect. I am bolstered by their grit and determination to do everything they can each and every night to prevent a worst case scenario.
We continue to get asked how this will end and how the violence will stop. The solution is in a critical mass of community and partners coming together to denounce this criminal activity and call it out as it does not represent what we know our community at large wants or values. The solution includes broad support for the police to do their job in exhausting and challenging circumstances. The solution also includes elected officials and people in positions of power coming together in support of the real change, but against those who continue to feel empowered to act in a way that devalues our City with every brick thrown, every fire lit, and every crime committed.
The stakes are high and the world is watching. We are on the national stage right now. I would much rather be known for being leaders in change rather than nightly violence.
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