Police declare riot after crowd smashes windows, sets fires in downtown Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Portland police declared a riot in downtown Portland after a group of anti-police demonstrators started smashing windows and breaking into businesses Friday night.

Multiple people have been arrested, KGW reported.

The Portland Police Bureau said there were two separate marches downtown after 9 p.m., one of which became destructive while the other stayed peaceful. 

The one that was declared a riot started in Director Park on Southwest Ninth Avenue and Yamhill Street. At 9:45 p.m., police tweeted that participants had started to engage in criminal activity. A riot was declared minutes later. 

mages from PPB show smashed windows and graffiti at the Oregon Historical Society. Independent journalists also shared videos of broken windows at banks and businesses. 

Police ordered the rioters to leave the area or risk arrest or use of force, including tear gas and crowd control munitions. 

At about 10:30 p.m., police said a hostile crowd was surrounding them while they were making arrests. 

Shortly after 11 p.m., police said there was a "bonfire in the street" at Southwest Fourth Avenue and Salmon Street and a dumpster fire one block away at Fourth and Taylor. Portland Fire & Rescue responded to put out those fires. 

OPB reporter Sergio Olmos tweeted at 11:26 p.m. that police had started pushing the remaining protesters out of the area. 

Prior to the riot, police issued a news release saying they were aware of a "direct action" event set to start at Director Park, and said it was planning for the possibility of violence or criminal activity. 

The march that police said was peaceful started at Waterfront Park, where a vigil was held for Adam Toledo, a 13-year-old Mexican American boy who was shot and killed last month by Chicago police. 

Police said people in that group crossed the Hawthorne Bridge and blocked traffic downtown, but there were no reports of violence or destruction.