Fires set, fences moved: Police call Portland protest a riot
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Protesters broke into a building, set it on fire and started dumpster fires late Saturday night in Oregon's largest city, police said, as demonstrations that have been taking place since the death of George Floyd intensified for another night in Portland.
The fire at the Portland Police Association building was put out a short time later, Portland police said on Twitter. The department declared the gathering a riot, and began working to clear the downtown area.
Tear gas was deployed, according to pictures and video from the scene. Fencing that had been placed around federal courthouse had also been removed by protesters and made into barricades, police tweeted.
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The overnight action by Portland's police was condemned Jo Ann Hardesty, a prominent member of the City Council. Hardesty said Saturday that local police “joined in the aggressive clampdown of peaceful protest.”
Hardesty also slammed Wheeler, telling the mayor he needed to better control local law enforcement. Hardesty, who oversees the city's fire department and other first-responder agencies, said in an open letter to Wheeler if "you can’t control the police, give me the Portland Police Bureau.”
In a statement Saturday, Portland Police said as they responded to the overnight protests - which included people throwing projectiles at them - some federal agencies took action “under their own supervision and direction.” Portland Police said city officers arrested seven people, and one officer sustained a minor injury.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Protesters broke into a building, set it on fire and started dumpster fires late Saturday night in Oregon's largest city, police said, as demonstrations that have
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