Portland police again declare riot after Police Assn. building set ablaze
PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — People in a crowd of demonstrators set fire to the Portland Police Association building Tuesday night, prompting police to declare a riot for a second straight night.
The march was the second after the killing of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man who was shot by police in Minnesota on Sunday, KGW reported.
People started gathering at Kenton Park in North Portland at about 9 p.m. for a planned demonstration. The group marched south from the park to the police union building a few blocks away on North Lombard Street and Campbell Avenue.
At 9:52 p.m., police said a crowd of 100 people was blocking Lombard near the PPA building. Police began using a loudspeaker to tell the crowd to leave or risk arrest, citation or crowd control agents, including tear gas and munitions.
Around 10 p.m., police confirmed the building was set on fire. Video from independent journalist Suzette Smith also shows fireworks going off outside.
"People appear to be using accelerants on a door to ignite a fire which is growing larger," Portland police tweeted at 10:05 p.m.
By 10:07 p.m., police declared a riot and cleared people from the building as Portland Fire & Rescue extinguished the fire. The fire was put out by 10:16 p.m. and the demonstrators returned to Kenton Park to leave, police said.
At least one person was arrested.
