There was a fatal police shooting at a park in Portland Friday morning. It started when a call was placed to police reporting a white man pointing a gun in the park. Police arrived and, according to a witness who filmed the encounter, the man became irate. He was shirtless and didn’t appear to be armed at that point, though the witness said he’d seen him with a gun earlier. Police attempted to issue orders and locate then gun but when the man bent down to pick something off the ground, one of the officers shot him. The man died at the scene. As many as 250 protesters showed up at the park Friday morning while police created a line of officers to keep people out of the scene.
⚠️PROFANITY WARNING ⚠️ Happening now at Lents Park #protest #portland #PortlandProtests #police @KOINNews pic.twitter.com/JRJz2ZBtVM
— Jenny Young (@jennytyoung) April 16, 2021
Friday evening there were two protests announced. An Antifa account called for an occupation of the park where the shooting happened and made clear BLM was not welcome:
Portland #Antifa clashes with BLM:
Antifa have called for the creation of an autonomous zone at the park where there was a police-involved shooting death of a reportedly armed man. Antifa also announced that BLM is banned from participating. Here’s why: pic.twitter.com/IQmVhnQ1iW
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) April 17, 2021
Both the Antifa and the BLM march blocked traffic but the Antifa march was eventually declared a riot, the third one in five days.
A group of protesters in downtown Portland lit fires, smashed the windows of businesses, a church and the Oregon Historical Society, and caused other various damage during a destructive demonstration Friday night and early Saturday.
Someone also fired several gunshots from a car traveling a block away from the protest crowd early Saturday. No one was hurt.
Police declared the demonstration a riot late Friday, marking the third time in five days the bureau had made such an announcement.
Of course the written word doesn’t fully communicate the scale of the damage. There was lots of vandalism and broken windows.
Rioters destroyed several of these walk signals #portland #portlandriot @KOINNews pic.twitter.com/OmkbujxN4k
— Jenny Young (@jennytyoung) April 17, 2021
Broken windows in Portland#PortlandRiots pic.twitter.com/aFtdncL1Qo
— Cat Hyde Кот Хайд (I'm just here for my ban)🖤🧡 (@KBoomhauer) April 17, 2021
For some reason, Antifa once again targeted the Oregon Historical Society. What in the world does “No more history” mean? They also targeted a church:
Vandals have struck Oregon Historical Society and 1st Christian Church in downtown Portland. Police have declared a riot. #KOIN6News pic.twitter.com/Q4Qc85Zy6H
— Matt Rashleigh (@Matt_KOIN) April 17, 2021
Windows smashed at Oregon Historical Society. pic.twitter.com/PXlXVQXtSo
— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) April 17, 2021
Nordstrom and Nike were targeted:
Nordstrom and Nike have broken windows too as group marches through downtown Portland. Police have declared a riot. #KOIN6News pic.twitter.com/0BLcABAhb3
— Matt Rashleigh (@Matt_KOIN) April 17, 2021
They painted “Kill Cops” on this building.
'Kill Cops' written on the side of a building, busted out windows #Portland pic.twitter.com/ZvuCmI0v2U
— Cat Hyde Кот Хайд (I'm just here for my ban)🖤🧡 (@KBoomhauer) April 17, 2021
Police published additional photos of the damage done last night:
Damage at the Apple Store pic.twitter.com/RDGIlSUOmS
— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) April 17, 2021
Rioters also set a significant fire at a downtown mall connected to the Apple Store:
RIOTERS SET FIRES OUTSIDE THE APPLE STORE. #portland @KOINNews pic.twitter.com/Wxw7l3CFuv
— Jenny Young (@jennytyoung) April 17, 2021
The Apple store is now on fire pic.twitter.com/yWvHbRNSiX
— Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) April 17, 2021
A building attached to the Apple Store in Pioneer Place is lit on fire as Security guards the Apple building. #Portland #Protest #riot pic.twitter.com/m8Iio5J2ul
— Independent Media PDX (@NDpendentPDX) April 17, 2021
Fire crews eventually arrived to put it out.
Another angle of the Apple Store on fire tonight in #Portland pic.twitter.com/U08USsFpbl
— Cat Hyde Кот Хайд (I'm just here for my ban)🖤🧡 (@KBoomhauer) April 17, 2021
The Oregonian spoke to an arson investigator this morning. He estimated the damage at this one location was $200,000.
But Portland wasn’t alone last night. There were similar protests around the country. In Chicago:
Clashes are breaking out between Chicago Police and the crowd here at Logan Square Park #Chicago #ChicagoPD #ChicagoProtests pic.twitter.com/fVL5W2P7Gm
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) April 17, 2021
In Oakland:
The looting has begun in Oakland#OaklandProtests pic.twitter.com/TNNLgk127b
— Cat Hyde Кот Хайд (I'm just here for my ban)🖤🧡 (@KBoomhauer) April 17, 2021
In New York:
Chaos Erupts after a protesters was arrested. Protesters yell " LET HIM GO LET HIM GO " at the protest for Adam Toledo in Brooklyn NY.
Filmed and owned by leeroy Johnson #AdamToledo #DaunteWright #NewYork #Brooklyn pic.twitter.com/yxSrjOLSST— Leeroy Johnson (@LeeroyPress) April 17, 2021
And Washington, DC:
“While you are dining, black people are dying,”
Protesters chant as the march continues through #WashingtonDC pic.twitter.com/qyGNgnzpgB
— Lisa Bennatan (@LisaBennatan) April 17, 2021
Altercation breaks out between police and protesters as protesters were walking through diners #WashingtonDC pic.twitter.com/tOsiLmP5HC
— Lisa Bennatan (@LisaBennatan) April 17, 2021
So last night Portland was not a special case. People around the country are ready to riot over the deaths of Daunte Wright and Adam Toledo and we’re still waiting on the outcome of the Derek Chauvin trial.
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