Police: Protesters cause damage around precinct in N Portland, arrests made

Click here for updates on this story

    PORTLAND, OR (KPTV ) — Dozens of protesters took to the streets of north Portland Tuesday night, and some of them were destructive, police said.

According to the Portland Police Bureau, around 9 p.m. about 50 people who had gathered at Peninsula Park blocked streets as they moved to the area of the North Precinct, near Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Northeast Killingsworth Street.

People in the crowd were seen wearing gas masks and carrying shields. Once the group reached the precinct building, chants of “burn it down” were heard.

Police said fires were lit in two dumpsters.

According to PPB, some crowd members threw bottles at officers and police cars and moved barricades that had been placed in the road near Northeast 6th Avenue and Northeast Killingsworth Street.

Officers were called from across Portland to respond to the protest activity and “try to prevent violence and destruction to this precinct, people who work there, and the surrounding neighborhood,” PPB said.

The crowd was told to stay off precinct property.

PPB said many people gathered along Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and blocked traffic between Northeast Emerson Street and Northeast Killingsworth Street. Some placed burning material and barricades in the streets, blocking all traffic lanes of Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

Individuals sprayed graffiti on public and private buildings along the street. As they did, PPB said officers remained away, near the precinct parking lot, “in order to allow people to protest then disperse.”

During the protest activity, police said traffic in the area was light but steady. Since Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard was blocked, drivers could not get through.

According to PPB, dozens of people began gathering on the northeast corner of the precinct building and some pulled down a fence there. Officers replaced the fence, but crowd members removed it again.

Protesters were once again told stay off precinct property. Police said officers were met with objects thrown at them and the crowd remained in the area.

Watch: Stable value funds can benefit your plan
Don’t miss Vanguard’s head of stable value investments and senior investment strategist breakdown the benefits of stable value funds. Watch now.
Ad By Vanguard
See More
Officers approached the crowd after waiting 15 minutes after the announcements, PPB said.

During dispersal efforts, police said most of the group left but then gathered again at the northeast corner of the precinct.

Police remained on the precinct property and told the crowd that trespassing is a crime and any who entered precinct property would face possible arrest and/or use of force, up to and including the use of tear gas. Despite the orders, police said dozens of people remained in place, chanting and yelling.

Police remained back on the precinct property for about half an hour, but PPB said individuals continued trespassing. PPB said officers approached the crowd and most of them fled west then north. Police then followed for several blocks to encourage people to continue moving out of the area.

As the crowd dispersed, police said members threw glass bottles and paint at officers. At least one person “deployed spikes,” PPB said, which damaged police vehicle tires.

During protest activity, some people destroyed security cameras at the precinct and tore electrical wires from the building.

PPB said some arrests were made Tuesday night, but officers did not use munitions or tear gas when engaging with the crowd.

A FOX 12 crew witnessed three arrests.

According to PPB, Portland Fire & Rescue responded to put out the dumpster fires. Debris was then cleared from the streets by police and traffic could access Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard by 11:42 p.m.

The identities of those arrested and the charges they face have not been released by police.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.