Hundreds of people belonging to 'a variety of groups with various ideologies' gathered in the street on the Southwest 3rd Avenue side of the Justice Centre and in the nearby park.
Portland protest day 86 pic.twitter.com/5PItjwRox8
— Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) August 22, 2020
Several sporadic brawls erupted between them, with projectiles and fireworks being thrown and pepper aerosols and bear spray being put to use.
People battled each other with bats and sticks, with some of them wearing protective body armor and gas masks.
Fighting in the streets pic.twitter.com/8EnuhN5V4q
— Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) August 22, 2020
"While the activity in the group met the definition of a riot, PPB did not declare one because there were not adequate police resources available to address such a declaration", local police said in a press release.
Before 3 pm, one of the groups left while others regrouped and returned to the area of Terry Schrunk Plaza. Later, the police declared "an unlawful assembly" in the park and ordered people to disperse.
Federal officials have declared an unlawful assembly in Terri Schrunk Plaza. The crowd is being ordered to disperse to the North or be subject to force, arrest, or crowd control munitions.
— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) August 22, 2020
Press Release: Several Skirmishes Occur Between Opposing Groups During Mass Gatherings in Downtown Portland Saturday Afternoon (Photo)
— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) August 22, 2020
Link: https://t.co/KzFQwbrrHA pic.twitter.com/uEzj00hhiC
On Saturday morning, police declared "an unlawful assembly" and arrested nine people after the Friday match after “heavy damage to police cars and injuries to officers” was inflicted.
Protests against police brutality and racism have erupted in Portland and other US cities after the death of Minnesota resident man George Floyd in police custody on 25 May. The Portland protests have since evolved into a nightly battle against the federal forces that President Donald Trump deployed to the city to get the situation under control.
