Two of them remained peaceful, but the others resulted in “property damage and arrests,” he said. CNN is trying to learn more about who organized the demonstrations.
A group of about 150 people converged on the ICE building in the South Waterfront neighborhood on Wednesday night, around 9 pm, Allen said.
Some protesters carried pepper guns, fireworks, shields, stones and “Taser-like electronic control weapons”.
In an updated statement on Thursday morning, the police said that many in the crowd were wearing gas masks and helmets, and within minutes, people began to mark the ICE building with graffiti.
CNN affiliate KOIN reported that the graffiti included messages like “Bring families together now” – a possible reference to the separation of migrant children from their parents. There were other messages with an anti-law enforcement sentiment, calling for the abolition of the ICE with another symbol of anarchy. A message said, “Kill the cops !!!”
Federal officials declared it an illegal assembly after protesters started throwing stones and vandalizing the building,
Allen said.
Federal police have deployed “crowd control ammunition,” said Allen, although he did not say what type, referring to federal authorities. The Portland Police did not distribute CS gas (commonly known as tear gas), added Allen.
CNN affiliate KOIN reported that its journalists at the scene saw the police use what appeared to be tear gas, along with moral grenades and pepper balls. Several people appeared to be in custody, according to KOIN.
Allen said the Portland police were in the neighborhood and “some arrests have been made”.
The city and the ICE building have been sites of repeated clashes between protesters and federal officials in recent months. The police did not describe the composition of the groups involved in Wednesday’s protests.
8 arrests made after vandalism at Democratic Party headquarters
The demonstration in the ICE building followed another one earlier in the day, when a crowd of about 150 people gathered at Revolution Hall before marching to the Democratic Party headquarters in Oregon.
Police officers on bicycles met protesters in a parking lot at Revolution Hall, where “(d) ozens of people pressured police officers and then took one of the police officers’ bikes,” Portland Police said in a statement. More police arrived to help and managed to get the bike back. The crowd blocked the cops’ passage as they tried to leave.
The group then left Revolution Hall and marched to the Democratic Party headquarters, where some protesters “broke windows and vandalized the building,” said Allen.
At one point, the crowd “showed aggression by police who swarmed and threw objects,” said Allen.
Images from KATU, a CNN affiliate, showed a symbol of anarchy painted next to the building’s front door with an unholy reference to newly installed President Joe Biden on the other side. Another showed the crowd going up the street, many of them dressed in black, carrying a sign that said: “We are ungovernable”. The broadcaster said the demonstration was announced as a protest against Biden and the police, while supporting the rights of indigenous peoples.
At least 8 people were arrested on several charges, including criminal perversion, possession of a destructive device and riots, Allen said.
In a statement, the Oregon Democratic Party said that none of its employees were in the building at the time, but they were “frustrated and disappointed”.
“This is not the first time that our building has been vandalized during the past year – none of the previous incidents has prevented us from our important work to elect Democrats in every election, and this will be no different,” the statement said.
Seattle federal court also damaged
Seattle police also reported vandalism of several downtown buildings late on Wednesday, including a federal court.
The Seattle Police Department shared photos on Twitter, saying “several windows” were broken at the William Kenzo Nakamura Court, used primarily by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
CNN affiliate KOMO reported that the group also set the American flag on fire and threw objects into the streets to block drivers from passing. Participants also damaged several vehicles before police ordered them to disperse, KOMO reported.
Other photos shared by the police showed a
Amazon Go Store with symbols of anarchy and anti-Biden and anti-police graffiti. Several windows were broken. Other photos showed broken glass in a Starbucks store.
Several arrests have been made, the police said, including some for property damage and assault. Another man was arrested in connection with a theft investigation at Starbucks.
Dave Alsup, Andy Rose and Joe Sutton of CNN contributed to this report.
