PORTLAND, Ore. — A chaotic weekend in Portland saw 46 people arrested over three nights of riots.
The weekend began with a march of up to 200 people to the Portland Police Bureau's (PPB) North Precinct. Police used unoccupied patrol cars as a barricade and said that over three hours, some in the crowd threw softball-sized rocks, glass bottles, ball bearings, metal railroad spikes and other objects at the cars.
By 1 a.m., police declared the event a riot, began moving the protesters out and had rocks thrown at them from the crowd. Nine people were arrested.
Sociologist Randy Blazak said that the nightly violence is, among other things, moving many people to think about moderate ways to reform policing.
“The more extreme element kind of brings people to the middle. When they see the folks who want to graffiti and smash the windows of police cars, it makes them take a second look at the more moderate notion of what does defund the police mean,” he said.
On Saturday, a different sort of protest took place. Members of the right gathered in downtown Portland to express their support for police. It included members of a far-right group called the Proud Boys, known for fighting with antifa members from the left in various cities around the country including Portland. As the day wore on, counter-protesters showed up and the two sides went at it with pepper spray, bear spray, clubs and fists.
Police did not try to break it up, and later said that because of the ongoing nightly protests, they only had 30 officers available, that some had worked the riot overnight and it would not have been safe to intervene.
Blazak said that was a mistake because, like it or not, that sends a message.
“There is a big perception problem here with police. In that police somehow enforce racist forces whether its internal or external. That police have sort of turned a blind eye to white nationalists in the streets of Portland,” said Blazak.
Many on social media pointed to a Proud Boy with an outstanding warrant for arrest who walked right past police. He's not following directions from his probation officer. Many wondered why he was not arrested. Later, cameras captured another man apparently pointing a revolver at the crowd as he stood behind the lines on the conservative right.
“The concern is that sends a message that the police have a vested interest in the racist history of policing and are resistant to change, which is only going to bring the protesters out in force,” Blazak said.
Although he agreed that the police explanation for not getting involved could be valid.
“Yeah, I think that’s a completely reasonable assumption given how long these protests have been going on,” he said.
Late Monday, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler issued the following statement about the daytime protest and counter protest Saturday.
“I vehemently oppose what the Proud Boys and those associated with them stand for, and I will not tolerate hate speech and the damage it does in our city. White nationalists, particularly those coming to our city armed, threaten the safety of Portlanders, and are not welcome here. Regarding Saturday afternoon’s protest, I am closely reviewing and discussing with Chief Lovell Portland Police Bureau’s strategy to limit their intervention in the right-wing protests and counter-demonstrations. We will share more information with the public. We are at a critical place where police officers are needed to intervene in protests where police officers themselves are the flashpoint.”
On Saturday night, hundreds gathered at the Kelly Building on East Burnside street. Again, some people threw items at police and the event was eventually declared a riot. Officers arrested 14 people.
On Sunday night, the North Precinct of PPB was again the target. Police said protesters used a trailer as a shield along with a dumpster they set on fire. Police said individuals threw chunks of ceramic, rocks and glass bottles at officers from behind the shields and elsewhere. Some in the crowd also shined green lasers at officers, according to police, and at least one balloon filled with feces was thrown at officers on the building’s roof.
Police eventually declared the event a riot. Twenty-three people were arrested.