Portland sounded like the new year with a riot: vandals wreaked havoc across Oregon City, throwing Molotov cocktails and attacking law enforcement with rocks and bricks, police said.
The crowd gathered around 7:45 p.m. near Chapman Square, the center of protests that led to the city throughout 2020.
Portland police said at least two Molotov cocktails were thrown and commercial-grade fireworks were fired at the federal court and the Justice Center, which some riot police tried to break into.
The crowd also set off several fires and threw frozen rocks, bricks and bottles of water at officers of the federal protection services and the sheriff’s office in Multnomah County. Some were hit by balloons full of paint, which according to Portland police may have been “tied with a caustic substance, as it caused skin burns.”
A riot was declared just before 11pm and police warned protesters that if they did not leave the area, they would be subject to arrest and / or use of force, including, but not limited to, firearms. ‘impact and tear gas’.
The group also destroyed properties, including the destruction of a Starbucks window, KOIN reported.
The planned protest was declared “in solidarity with BLM” with “no streamers, no megaphones, no owners” according to online publications.
“New year, the same goal,” the message read.
The harsh protest broke out around two in the morning only after police used inert smoke and some impact ammunition.
Police said arrests were made, but information was not immediately available.