Portland riot declared, windows smashed; National Guard activated
PORTLAND, Ore (KTVZ) — A riot was declared Wednesday evening and the Oregon National Guard has been activated in response to demonstrators smashing windows in downtown Portland.
The declaration was made around 6:45 p.m. by "unified command," a law enforcement partnership made up of Oregon State Police, the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office and the Portland Police Bureau, KGW reported.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown organized the command group to address potential violence in Portland this week with tensions heightened from the election.
KGW's Mike Benner tweeted photos and videos of broken windows on 6th Avenue and West Burnside, as well as Southwest 10th Avenue and Harvey Milk Street.
Unified command said at least eight people have been arrested. It is warning demonstrators to leave the area.
The riot declaration and decision to bring in the National Guard were made in response to one group of protesters, who began the night at North Park Blocks before marching through downtown.
Another group of demonstrators, estimated at a couple hundred people, was gathered along the waterfront. They first gathered at Revolution Hall in Southeast Portland before marching to the waterfront, at one point disrupting traffic on the Morrison Bridge. The Defend Democracy Coalition, a coalition of more than 50 different community groups, organized the demonstration, calling on protesters to “stand up for Black lives, demand that every vote be counted and defend our democracy.” Participating groups included faith organizations, labor unions and numerous activist groups. Unified command thanked organizers for "managing their event safely."
Wednesday’s events follow a largely peaceful gathering and march through Southeast Portland on election night. Estimates from journalists in the crowds at Tuesday night’s “unity march” said hundreds of people marched from Revolution Hall through the streets of Southeast Portland chanting the names of Black people killed by law enforcement.
