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Portland police declare riot and use CS gas to disperse crowds

Portland Police Bureau says crowds tied chains to the fence at the Multnomah County Justice Center and pulled a section of it down.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Protesters poured into downtown Portland Saturday night by the thousands and congregated in several locations before police declared a riot around the federal courthouse at 1 a.m and used munitions, including CS gas, to disperse the crowd.

According to the Portland Police Bureau (PPB), a crowd of approximately 200 people gathered outside the Portland Police Association offices and blocked streets and pulled sections of a chain link fence across Lombard Ave. 

RELATED: Assistant U.S. Attorney: If protesters don't damage the fence feds have no reason to leave federal property

Another group met in Alberta Park and walked to the North Precinct where they stood out side and chanted before heading to the federal courthouse.

The largest of the groups, estimated to be in the thousands, met on SW 3rd Avenue outside the federal courthouse and the Multnomah County Justice Center and neighboring streets and parks. Crowds threw rocks, bottles and other debris over the fence, and fired explosive fireworks into the blocked area around the building.

 

At approximately 1:03 a.m. several individuals tied a chain to the fence by tying ropes to it and managed to pull a section of it down. People began lighting fires along SW 3rd Avenue and began climbing over the fence, and continued to launch mortar style fireworks on the ground.

PPB declared a riot shortly after 1:20 a.m. after giving the crowd repeated warnings for them to disperse before using CS gas and other munitions on the crowd.

RELATED: 60 people have been arrested or detained near or at federal courthouse since July

   

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