Politics
Shock vids show anarchist protesters in Portland start ‘RIOT’ by smashing windows and trashing city
PORTLAND police declared a riot last night as protesters began smashing windows, tagging graffiti and hurling rocks.
The unrest came as Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler declared a state of emergency over ongoing unrest in the city which his raged since last May.
Anarchist symbol daubed on a bus shelter[/caption]
Smashed windows in a coffee shop in Portland[/caption]
Pictures shows windows broken and anarchist graffiti tagged on buildings following the unrest in the northwest par of Portland, Oregon.
Other anti-police graffiti read “rest in p*ss pigs” and the rioters could be heard banging drums while chanting “F*** Ted Wheeler” as they moved through the streets.
Around 75 protesters dressed in black started vandalizing property as they starting marching from a park near the cities downtown.
The Portland Police Bureau described the city as an “autonomous demonstration” and said it started around 8pm.
Videos show police playing warnings on loudspeakers to the gathered protesters informing them the event has been “declared a riot”.
Cops said the crowd were “engaging in violent tumultuous conduct likely to cause a grave risk of public alarm”.
It warned them unless they dispersed they may be “subject to cites, arrest, crowd control agents included but not limited to tear gas and/or impact weapons”.
Cops said the rioters eventually dispersed – and two people were arrested and booked into Multnomah County Detention Center.
Fliers had been distributed throughout the city urging followers to “Bloc Up!” – which means wear all black, while not carrying any banners or megaphones.
The tactic is used to make convictions harder against protesters – and has been previously associated with Antifa.
Portland has been rocked by months of unrest following an initial series of violent riots last year following the killing of George Floyd.
Anti-police graffiti is smeared on a window[/caption]
The left-wing Three Arrows symbol painted on a restaurant’s window[/caption]
Mayor Wheeler declared the state of emergency earlier this week following Chauvin’s conviction for Floyd’s murder.
Speaking before the latest wave of unrest on Friday, he said residents are fed up with watching destruction by a small group of “self described anarchists”.
He said: “They want to burn. They want to bash. They want to assault.”
Portland police and the National Guard have been on standby since Tuesday, with emergency powers granted to the mayor to impose a curfew.
Wheeler asked residents to note the license plates of people who drive to the events and then don black clothing before arming themselves with weapons.
He also urged anyone to report anyone who has been bragging about committing violence, telling residents to “make a stand and take your city back”.
“Our job is to unmask them, arrest them and prosecute them,” Mayor Wheeler said.
Riots and violence has rocked Portland for almost an entire year[/caption]
Black Lives Matter groups have sought to disavow these recent “direct action” events – calling then destructive to the cause of racial injustice and saying their actions are not linked to BLM, reports OregonLive.
Rioters this week caused $20,000 in damage to the Boys and Girls Club – which offers services to black communities in Portland.
Mayor Wheeler said: “A significant threat to our ability to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic towards a more equitable and inclusive Portland is the group of 100 or so largely white, self-described anarchists who engage in the criminal destruction of our economy and our confidence.
“They stand in stark contrast from those who stand for meaningful change and racial justice that is sorely overdue.”
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Portland became the center of many protests last summer – with at least 100 consecutive nights of unrest, prompting then President Donald Trump to deploy federal forces.
And last June, the city cut $16million from the police budget and dissolved the city’s Gun Violence Reduction Team, School Resource Officers and the Transit Division Program.
Portland police have said they are “discussing and planning” for potentially months of sustained unrest.
It came as The US Sun previously revealed a top police representative believes Antifa operate “like Al-Qaeda” and want America “burned to the ground”.
