UPDATE (12:54 a.m. PT) — An evening vigil for George Floyd and other victims of police violence drew a large, peaceful crowd in Portland on Friday, but eventually led to damage to buildings and looting.
Demonstrators marched through the streets of Portland, Ore., Friday, May 29, 2020, joining nationwide protests against the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.
Jonathan Levinson/OPB
The vigil began around 6 p.m. at Peninsula Park, where hundreds of people wearing masks and socially distancing gathered to hear speakers decry the death of Black Americans like George Floyd — a Minneapolis man who died Monday after police restrained him, kneeled on his neck for several minutes, and ignored Floyd’s pleas that he could not breathe.
After hours of peaceful demonstration, some members of the crowd marched from Peninsula Park to the Multnomah County Justice Center in downtown Portland. The building is home to the county jail and police headquarters.
Video showed some protesters breaking windows on the building before entering, damaged computers, spraying graffiti and setting a small fire. Portland police in riot gear quickly moved into the area shortly after 11 p.m. and ordered people to disperse from the area. Police used tear gas and loud speakers to move the crowd away from the Justice Center and regain control of the building.
Demonstrators broke into and set a small fire in the Multnomah County Justice Center in downtown Portland, Ore., Friday, May 29, 2020.
Jonathan Levinson/OPB
Shortly after the fire started, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler urged protesters to remain peaceful.
“Portland, this is NOT us. When you destroy our city, you are destroying our community. When you act in violence against each other, you are hurting all of us. How does this honor the legacy of George Floyd? Protest, speak truth, but don’t tear your city apart in the process,” Wheeler wrote in a tweet.
Some protesters then moved on from the Justice Center and broke into stores and other buildings, including Apple and Louis Vuitton. Items were later dragged into the street and set on fire as Portland police continued to deploy tear gas.
Just before midnight, as damage began to increase, Wheeler took to Twitter again, this time in a more emotional tone.
ENOUGH.
I had to leave Portland today because my mother is dying. I am with family to prepare for her final moments. This is hard, this is personal, but so is watching my city get destroyed.
I’m coming back NOW. You will be hearing from me, @PortlandPolice, community leaders.
— Mayor Ted Wheeler (@tedwheeler) May 30, 2020
“ENOUGH. I had to leave Portland today because my mother is dying. I am with family to prepare for her final moments. This is hard, this is personal, but so is watching my city get destroyed. I’m coming back NOW. You will be hearing from me, @PortlandPolice,
Police eventually declared the event a riot and began separating protesters to make them easier to disperse. However, fires continued well into the night, with one set of protesters starting a blaze inside a downtown Chase Bank location. It was not immediately clear early Saturday morning if anyone had been arrested during the riot.
Speaking to KGW after 12:30 a.m., Wheeler said he plans to visit businesses Saturday that had been damaged by demonstrators.
This story will be updated.
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Portland Justice Center Broken Into, Set On Fire Following Peaceful Vigil - OPB News
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