Portland police arrest 11 protesters
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Police say 11 people have been arrested in connection with protests around Portland against police tactics used Friday during an anti-President Donald Trump demonstration.
Portland police said on Twitter that officers had arrested six people downtown earlier in the afternoon after protesters were blocking traffic. Police then tweeted that five more people were arrested on the city’s lower east side.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that protesters in small groups were moving around to different areas of the city and at one point were on the Steel Bridge chanting, “Whose streets? Our streets!”
Police said the first three protesters were arrested after blocking intersections, a bus and train.
One protester carried a sign reading “Fire Marshman, Coward Wheeler,” referring to the city’s Police Chief Mike Marshman and Mayor Ted Wheeler.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports (https://goo.gl/tGlv8J) that protesters had said they planned to stage small, scattered demonstrations throughout Wednesday.
Jacob Bureros, an activist with Direct Action Alliance and one of the organizers of Friday’s protest, called the plan a response to police shooting tear gas, flash-bang and sting-ball grenades at protesters.
Six people were arrested at the Friday demonstration.
A Portland Police Bureau spokesman said police were aware of potential Wednesday events and were “preparing accordingly for a variety of scenarios.”
Earlier Wednesday, protesters occupied Portland’s City Hall over the plight of a mentally ill homeless woman who was found standing on the street with her stillborn baby in her arms earlier this month.
The protesters gathered outside City Hall Wednesday morning and then entered the building, where they took over City Council chambers during a meeting of commissioners.
The demonstrators discussed how the city could better help the homeless.
The Oregonian/OregonLive (http://bit.ly/2jyhcuZ ) reports most of the protesters left after Mayor Ted Wheeler said he would meet with them later on. The council resumed its meeting.
The demonstrators were drawing attention to a stillborn baby who was being carried by his homeless mother at a bus stop on Jan. 9. The mother was taken to a hospital for a mental health evaluation.
