Molotov cocktails, other violence at downtown Portland New Year's Eve gathering prompt police to dec

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: The Oregonian

Crime

Molotov cocktails, other violence at downtown Portland New Year's Eve gathering prompt police to declare riot

Updated 11:28 AM; Today 10:48 AM

By Hillary Borrud The Oregonian/OregonLive

A gathering of people in downtown Portland on New Year's Eve quickly erupted into violence, with people tossing Molotov cocktail-style firebombs and other projectiles at law enforcement officers, setting off commercial grade fireworks and setting multiple fires, police said. ... People began to gather near the federal courthouse and Portland Justice Center, the location or destination for most anti-police violence demonstrations throughout 2020, at approximately 7:45 p.m., according to a news release from the Portland Police Bureau

The violence ultimately prompted Portland police to declare a riot before midnight, according to a Portland police statement on twitter. Police said few people in the crowd complied with orders to leave the area and some continued to throw "dangerous objects" at officers. Law enforcement did not use tear gas but did deploy "inert smoke" and some impact munitions, according to the Portland Police Bureau.

Link to tweet

People in the crowd threw projectiles such as bricks, large rocks and frozen water bottles at law enforcement officers, according to the police. ... The crowd also threw "paint balloons that may have been laced with a caustic substance as it caused burning to the skin," Portland police said. ... Vandals did significant damage to other buildings downtown, as a reporter with the Portland Tribune captured in photos posted on Twitter.

Link to tweet

It was the second night in a row of people damaging downtown businesses and government buildings. A small group of people also vandalized government buildings and at least one nonprofit in the city's downtown core on Dec. 30, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.

{snip}

Read more: https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2021/01/molotov-cocktails-other-violence-at-downtown-portland-new-years-eve-gathering-prompt-police-to-declare-riot.html

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Molotov cocktails, other violence at downtown Portland New Year's Eve gathering prompt police to declare riot https://trib.al/wuZYFYO

Link to tweet

Police declared a riot following widespread vandalism Nov. 4 as Gov. Kate Brown activated the Oregon National Guard to help respond. https://trib.al/dMcmzpB

Link to tweet

Salem police prep for multiple Jan. 1 protests and ask residents to avoid Capitol, other areas https://trib.al/0g1ReRv

Link to tweet

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The nonprofit that was targeted was The Oregon Historical Society. This is not the first time they have been the target of vandalism.

"The Dec. 30 vandalism once again targeted The Oregon Historical Society, which was also vandalized during violent protests in October when people broke in and stole a famous Afro-American Heritage Bicentennial Quilt."

https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2020/10/famous-quilt-celebrating-black-history-stolen-found-and-returned-to-the-oregon-historical-society.html

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You can find videos of the violence at

https://twitter.com/N2SReports

and

https://twitter.com/FordFischer

[underpants]

1. Morons. Just because it's the "thing to do" cost us plenty of seats down ballot

all over the country. Dumbasses.

[LongtimeAZDem]

12. +1

[Turin_C3PO]

18. I'm not at all sure

it’s left wingers rioting. Plenty of Proud Boys in Portland.

[LizBeth]

2. From what I saw both groups so little they probably know each other by now.

Arrest the ones doing damage, just about doing damage. No cause. Not anymore. And no, no riot.

[louis-t]

4. Well, the Q types are saying "Oregon defunded police

so now crime is rampant."

[Historic NY]

5. Is there something in the water up there?

The amount of damages and the amount of overtime , etc. is definitely going to be a strain on other city services and public programs. In 19 days Trump will be gone.

[LeftInTX]

8. It must be the weather

Perfect year round for outdoor activites

[trueblue2007]

13. my city .... i say throw them all in jail. violence is not needed !!!!!

[blm]

6. RightWing terrorists assuming law enforcement will blame the left.

Just like during the Floyd protests. BLM and antifa were blamed when it was Boogaloo Bois and other white supremacist groups targeting and even killing police officers.

[lutherj]

10. Exactly. This is not BLM or Antifa, though Antifa might get caught up in scuffles with them.

I know someone who has an apartment in downtown Portland, and she says you can tell at a glance that this is not BLM. A couple weeks ago there were two coordinated groups of about 30 people each that simultaneously struck in two different parts of town. The group downtown attacked the Mexican consulate. That’s obviously the action of a right-wing terrorist group.

[onetexan]

15. Exactly, the RWers are doing this to incite violence & blame it on Dems/BLM. I smell a rat

[BumRushDaShow]

7. There was apparently a similar attempt here in Philly last night

where a "group of about 50" marauders "dressed in black" went on a vandalism spree but they were able to catch and arrest a number of them and found that some had Molotov cocktails.

AP

Vandals damage federal buildings in Philadelphia; 7 arrested
2 hours ago

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A group of people dressed in black vandalized at least two federal buildings in downtown Philadelphia on New Year’s Eve, and police said they recovered Molotov cocktails and other suspicious devices as they arrested seven of them, authorities said Friday. Officers spotted about 50 people, all in black, around 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the historic U.S. Customs House, police said.

And a 25-year-old man was seen throwing a brick through the windows of a federal building and courthouse shortly before 9 p.m., police said. He fled with a 24-year-old man and two 23-year-old women, all of whom were arrested. Damage to the building was estimated at about $3,000. Anti-police and anti-prison graffiti were scrawled on walls, a sheriff’s van was defaced and several windows were broken.

Three other people were also arrested in the area, a 25-year-old man and two women ages 22 and 26. Police said the man was carrying a glass jar with a fuse that had “a strong flammable odor,” as well as a plastic container with white powder labeled “Fire Starter.”The younger woman had bottles with liquids that had “a chemical smell,” they said.

Chief Inspector Mike Cram earlier told reporters that officers recovered what he called “numerous Molotov cocktails and some other devices which haven’t been identified.”

https://apnews.com/article/arrests-philadelphia-vandalism-d48637ddae7953ffb55792d394e7633d

And as a note - EVERYTHING around here in terms of "events", was cancelled way back over the summer so there were no official "gatherings" here last night. The "live" fireworks (they usually did 2 sets) had been cancelled and they supposedly showed an earlier per-recorded fireworks thing. However, a few break-away (GOP loon) Mummers decided they were going to "march" today anyway ("protest", per what some were calling it) despite their annual parade being cancelled.

[niyad]

9. Cops did not use tear gas, reports carefully make no attribution of responsibility. Hmmmm.

[Ford_Prefect]

11. Proud boys practicing for January 6th?

[quakerboy]

14. Dont believe anything PPD says

They lie easier than others breathe (though some of that could be the chemical agents PPD likes to fill the air with.

If theres damage, and theres no video of it, its fair to assume that PPD did it and is blaming others.

[Humanist_Activist]

24. Seriously, they declare "riots" after a group don't disperse 5 minutes after the announcement...

it even happens in broad daylight quite a few times.

How do we know they didn't have agent provocateurs in the crowd? Or right wing activists, oh wait, they probably are the same thing and get checks cut by the city of Portland.

[oldsoftie]

16. Portland just needs one helluva crackdown. Like it or not.

The city has just lost all control.

[Turin_C3PO]

17. From what I've read about the incident,

it’s proud boy types who were responsible for this destruction.

[oldsoftie]

19. Thats what we ALWAYS hear. Well, they can be arrested too.

Thats the only way to KNOW who is who & where they're from

[Turin_C3PO]

20. Well, I'm just going

based on a tweet I saw that showed the cops dispersing some right wingers. But regardless of who’s responsible, there’s no excuse for property damage.

[Humanist_Activist]

23. I never understood this argument, its like you are more concerned about broken windows than...

broken bodies.

Lots of talk of "no excuse for property damage" but its usually the police that attack people. That I find inexcusable. Property can be insured and repaired, people aren't so easily repairable or replaceable.

[Humanist_Activist]

22. So just do what? Round up all black people, or known BLM and/or Antifa activists, or what?

What are the limits to this crackdown?

[oldsoftie]

25. Are black people the ones destroying property? Or are you just generalizing?

WHOEVER is doing it needs to be arrested. And it needs to be done en masse. THATS what a crackdown is. No more letting things slide. The more you let people get away with, the more they'll try. They're just like children; no discipline means unruly kids. Same here.
The only way to find out who is causing the trouble & where they're from, the better. Lock 'em up i dont give a shit who they are or what they stand for. Destroying property helps no cause or purpose.

[Humanist_Activist]

26. I'm not the one generalizing here, you seem woefully ignorant of the actions of the Portland

Police. A crackdown means they will arrest a random assortment of "troublemakers" usually left leaning BLM activists and terrorize the black neighborhoods in the process. If you think they have been letting things slide, you really don't know what's going on in Portland. Damn.

Oh and who gives a shit about property, seriously? Is it worth injuring/killing people over?

[oldsoftie]

27. Ask a property owner what happens after incidents like this.

Many times they cannot get insurance & have to close. And ask the city what happens when all the taxes, both sales & property, go away. Neither answer is pretty.
I said to get the ones actually doing the damage. And no, i no longer give a rats ass about those people. They're there of their own doing. If the cops arrest EVERYONE, then sure, discipline THEM too. With todays available tech, its not that hard to monitor an area and pick out the right people.
I care about the city, the residents, the workers, the businesses, etc. Not vandals.

[Humanist_Activist]

28. How many lives is a Starbucks worth? Oh, and you seem to think the Portland Police are accountable.

How quaint, they were the prototype for the modern, corrupt, white-supremacist police union in the country. There is no accountability here, I find it amusing you think there is. They will "accidently: shoot protestors in the head with rubber bullets to protect property. Hell some of those people may have *gasp*, broken a window or two in the past, I guess that means permanent brain damage is an acceptable outcome.

I care about vandals because they are fucking people, not property, property can be replaced or repaired, people not so much. How fucking broken do you have to be to not care about them?

[oldsoftie]

29. Again, I said the city has lost control. That includes police accountability.

Thats also the responsibility of the city. I care little for anyone who gets hurt destroying property. Tired of it. And lucky for me, I really dont have to worry about it happening in my area. Property owners around here would shut it down rather fast; as is their right.

[BadGimp]

21. I live here and I can not for the life of me figure this out...

WTF!

What on earth are these people doing this for?