Portland Police were forced to declare a riot after hundreds of rioters set a federal courthouse on fire and covered it in graffiti.
The ‘protest’ occurred at Multnomah County Justice Center on Thursday when rioters gathered and protested peacefully for several hours before starting to wreak havoc.
According to the police, protesters covered a nearby courthouse in graffiti, set a part of it on fire, and broke down the glass door at one of the entrances to the Justice Center.
The rioters also forced the officers to retreat inside the building after showering them with rocks, cans, and fireworks.
While the protest started off with chanting and speeches, trouble began at around 11:30 pm after a group of demonstrators broke the door leading to the Justice Center and a nearby federal courthouse.
As the police marched out of the building in an attempt to disband the crowd, they were met with a fierce response whereas the protesters showered them with fireworks and rocks despite the authorities issuing warnings from a truck.
Some twenty minutes into the confrontation, the police were forced to declare a riot and warned the protesters that CS gas and munitions could be used against them.
“A riot has been declared in the area of the Federal Courthouse and Justice Center. You must leave the area now by moving to the south and the west. CS gas and other crowd control munitions may be deployed. Leave the area now,” Portland Police announced on social media.
After the crowd appeared to have disbanded, the protesters once again gathered at the western side of the courthouse at 1 am and started launching mortars. As one of the fire explosives entered the building through the broken door, the courthouse briefly caught fire before the blaze was put out by the police.
During their second attempt to end the riot, the police resorted to the use of smoke and pepper balls to clear the area.
As the Justice Center was being besieged, the protesters also targeted and vandalized The Promised Land Statue located at Chapman Square and the iconic 120-year-old elk statue that they attempted to set on fire.
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Replaced!