Riots erupted again Friday morning in Portland, Oregon as antifa and BLM took to the streets to loot and burn businesses. They also set fire to a police station and surrounding buildings while the police station was full of police and other employees of the police department. They also tried to set up their own “autonomous” zone, as authorities declared an unlawful assembly.
The morning was filled with looting, vandalizing and the burning of buildings, but this time the police were not ordered to stand down, no doubt the result of the fact that Mayor Ted Wheeler is up for reelection in 2020. In the past, he has been content to let antifa and BLM to run wild in the city.
The Portland Police Bureau’s North Precinct was their main focus, copying the actions their groups committed in Seattle. Durkan’s “block party” saw four people shot, one fatally before she made her move on the illegal enclave. They are now in the process of tearing down the CHOP occupied zone.
Protesters dispersed early Friday morning, according to Portland Police, which added that “arrests have been made” and confirmed “non-life-threatening” injuries in relation to the riots:
PPB City-Wide Response Continues After Protestors Lit Fires At North Precinct And Surrounding Structures. At Least One Business Has Been Looted. Avoid The Area From MLK, Ainsworth To Alberta.
— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) June 26, 2020
Arrests Have Been Made. Officers Are Now Securing Businesses That Were Vandalized And Looted In The King Neighborhood.
— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) June 26, 2020
KOIN reported:
According to police, the north side of the North Precinct was set ablaze around 2:15 a.m. In response, officers used CS gas to disperse the crowd — a few canisters of which were thrown back at police by some protesters. Earlier in the night, demonstrators reportedly attempted to create an autonomous zone outside the precinct before an unlawful assembly was declared.
Police say several businesses were looted overnight after windows were smashed and more fires were set. Although it is not confirmed which business was looted, Top to Bottom on NE MLK Boulevard had restoration crews out early Friday morning installing new windows and clearing debris. A nearby bank is believed to have been vandalized as well.