PORTLAND, Ore. — A group marched from Grant Park and vandalized several businesses in the Hollywood District of Northeast Portland Saturday night. The march was organized as a protest against the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, effectively allowing states to ban abortion.
According to an online flyer, the march was a "direct action" event, a label previously given to numerous anti-police protests in Portland that resulted in vandalism.
About 60 people, mostly wearing black, showed up to Grant Park off Northeast 33rd Avenue and began to march around 10 p.m.
Portland police said the group vandalized a pregnancy resource center. They also broke windows and sprayed graffiti at two banks and two coffee shops, including a Starbucks and Bank of America. Marchers were also responsible for vandalizing a Tesla and a Portland Public Schools van, police said.
The group dispersed around 10:45 p.m. and no arrests were made.
Police said officers were tied up with various other calls during the march, and they are in the process of gathering evidence to identify people who participated in the vandalism.
"Officers were monitoring the crowd, but did not have resources to intervene in the moment," police wrote in a news release. "At the time of this event, there was an injury shooting and a stabbing in East Precinct, and a felony assault in Central Precinct. Additionally, a community festival in North Precinct was underway, an impromptu 'dance party' drew approximately 1,000 people to Irving Park, and they held a march and blocked traffic. There were also calls about speed racers doing stunts in various parts of Portland."
"Just because arrests are not made at the scene, when tensions are high, does not mean that people are not being charged with crimes later," police added.
Police ask witnesses or people with surveillance footage from the march to contact the Portland Police Bureau's tip line at crimetips@portlandoregon.gov and reference case number 22-169901.