Rioters in Portland Set Fires, Clash With Law Enforcement

Rioters in Portland Set Fires, Clash With Law Enforcement
A firefighter helps put out a fire set at the Portland Police Association's headquarters in Portland, Ore., overnight April 14, 2021. (Portland Police Bureau)
Zachary Stieber
4/14/2021
Updated:
4/14/2021

Rioters in Portland on Tuesday night marched to the headquarters of a police union and set fire to the building.

About 100 people marched from Kenton Park to the Portland Police Association headquarters and lit multiple fires at and around the structure, video footage and photographs from the scene showed.

People in the crowd used spray paint to graffiti “ACAB,” an anti-police acronym favored by the far-left, anarcho-communist Antifa network, an Antifa symbol next to “[Expletive] PPA,” and “Daunte Wright” onto the building.

Wright was a 20-year-old man shot by a police officer in Minnesota on Sunday after resisting arrest and trying to flee in his car.

People in the crowd were chanting “Say his name!” and “Daunte Wright.”

Because the fires posed a danger to the neighborhood, which includes both residences and businesses, the Portland Police Bureau declared a riot and ordered the crowd to disperse.

Police made a single arrest of 19-year-old Alma Raven-Guido for arson.

Firefighters rushed to the scene and put out the fire.

The crowd dispersed and no crowd control munitions were used.

The Portland Police Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Portland police officers chase demonstrators after a riot was declared during civil unrest over the shooting in Minnesota of Daunte Wright, in Portland, Ore., on April 12, 2021. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
Portland police officers chase demonstrators after a riot was declared during civil unrest over the shooting in Minnesota of Daunte Wright, in Portland, Ore., on April 12, 2021. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

Earlier in the day, police had urged people planning a so-called direct action event—in Antifa parlance, direct action means conducting actions such as setting fires or looting—that people were planning.

“Such events have historically included wanton destruction of public and private property, violence and the active threat of harm by thrown or propelled objects, fire, and impact weapons. Similarly advertised events promoted and then engaged in arson and riots,” the bureau said.

“Community members who wish to demonstrate are always encouraged to do so, lawfully. The Portland Police Bureau is dedicated to supporting people’s right to lawfully assemble. Plans are underway for a police response to any violence or criminal activity that threatens the safety of community members or public employees or public or private property. People who engage in criminal activity are subject to the use of force and arrest,” it added.

Riots also took place in other areas on Tuesday night, including in Brooklyn Center, where Wright was fatally shot.

Monday night saw rioters in Portland hurl projectiles at officers and inflict “significant damage” to the Penumbra Kelly building, which houses a sheriff’s office, police said.

No arrests were made, but officials said investigations could lead to arrests down the line.

Rioting is a felony in Oregon.

Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt has declined to prosecute some riot charges, along with other charges, in recent months. Riots have taken place on a regular basis in Portland since March 2020.