Portland police declared a riot shortly before 11 pm local time on New Year’s Eve, after protesters smashed windows, set off fireworks and set fire to the federal court, CBS News affiliate KOIN said.
Less than half an hour later, Portland police advanced on the protesters, who responded by firing fireworks at them, KOIN said. Department of Homeland Security officers, who have been in the city for months to help police deal with regular protests that often turned violent, faced another group from the city.
KOIN said the police used pepper spray or mace against protesters at the main site, near the Federal Court building Mark O. Hatfield, and that pepper balls, rubber bullets or some other less lethal ammunition were fired.
Protesters gathered in downtown Portland near police headquarters in the early evening and then marched through the streets, smashing a Starbucks window before firing fireworks, spreading graffiti on several buildings and setting fires on the road or sidewalk.
KOIN said there was no clear focus for the meeting, but the pamphlets at the location said it was being held “In Solidarity with BLM”. The demonstration was disseminated through posts on social networks.
At one point, protesters took aim at fireworks at the courthouse building.
It happened a day after nearly a dozen Portland businesses were vandalized in the city center, KOIN cited Portland police, including Portland City Hall, the Oregon Historical Society, TriMet and the Portland Police Department.
KOIN said no arrests were made, but an investigation is underway.
Portland has been rocked by protests since George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis in May. Under the orders of the Trump administration, federal agents sent to Portland in July to crack down on violence. After weeks of violent clashes that included tear gas against protesters and dozens of arrests, federal agents began to withdraw in late July.
President Trump used the Portland protests as a rallying cry in his failed re-election attempt, presenting himself as a “law and order” leader amid national unrest.