Protesters took to the streets of Portland after President Biden was installed.
At least eight people were arrested in Portland on Wednesday after protesters damaged federal and private property, police said.
Dozens of protesters took to the streets of Oregon’s largest city after President Joe Biden took office. Some people were seen carrying Black Lives Matter posters, while others held banners with anti-Biden or anti-police slogans.
Although the demonstrations were largely peaceful, two protest events resulted in property damage and arrests, according to the Portland Police Department.
A crowd of about 150 people gathered at Revolution Hall, a concert hall in southeastern Portland, and marched to the Oregon Democratic Party headquarters on Wednesday afternoon. Some individuals vandalized the building with graffiti and broken windows, while others moved dumpsters to the middle of the street and set the contents on fire, police said.
Eight people, aged 18 to 38, were arrested in connection with the event. The charges range from criminal damage to possession of a destructive device. Several weapons were also seized, including Molotov cocktails, knives, batons, chemical spray and a crowbar, police said.
Later that night, a group of about 150 people marched to the field office of the US Department of Immigration and Customs (ICE) in Portland. Some individuals in the crowd were seen carrying pepper weapons, Tasers-like electronic control weapons, large fireworks, shields and stones. Many also wore helmets and gas masks, police said.
Within minutes of arriving at the ICE facility, some people started throwing stones and eggs at the building while others applied graffiti. Federal police responded by launching “crowd control ammunition”, while Portland police “were on standby to deal with crimes in the surrounding neighborhood,” according to the police.
“Details on what ammunition was used and any arrests made will have to come from federal authorities,” said the sergeant. Kevin Allen, of the Portland Police Department, said in a statement on Thursday. “The Portland Police did not deploy any CS gas.”
ABC News contacted the ICE Office of Public Affairs for comment.
“As always, we thank those who made their voices heard without resorting to criminal activity,” added Allen. “We respect the rights to freedom of expression and assembly.”