PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland police said officers arrested more than 12 people during protests in Portland on Sunday night in response to the death of George Floyd and other black Americans killed by law enforcement.
Sunday's demonstrations were spread across the city. Several thousand people gathered at Jefferson High School in North Portland and then marched to Alberta Park at around 6 p.m. That group left the park after several hours and went home.
Some from that group stayed at Jefferson High and pulled down a statue of Thomas Jefferson at the school. Earlier in the day, someone had tagged the statue's podium with the words "slave owner." Jefferson owned hundreds of slaves throughout his life.
Around 7:15 p.m., a group of motorcyclists briefly shut down the southbound lanes of I-5 on the upper deck of the Fremont Bridge.
More than 100 people gathered near the Justice Center behind the fenced area on Southwest 3rd Avenue and Main Street. Police said some from that group threw items, including glass bottles and a firework, over the fence and at officers. Others climbed on the fence. Police said one person was taken into custody after getting through the fence and refusing to leave the area.
Police declared the gathering an unlawful assembly and the group dispersed. No GS gas was used by officers, police said.
The crowd split into smaller groups and spread to different areas of downtown Portland and blocked roadways. By 1 a.m., the demonstrators had mostly been cleared from the area, police said.