Rioters dressed in black rampaged through downtown Portland on Wednesday night, smashing the windows of businesses and university buildings.
Fifteen Portland police training vehicles were set ablaze and damaged or destroyed at a training facility in the early hours of May 2, authorities say.
The chaos was part of a night of violence and destruction in the city of Portland and occurred just hours before Portland police began to clear pro-Palestinian protesters from the Portland State University (PSU) library.
Approximately 50 to 75 activists barricaded themselves in the PSU library on April 29, causing the university to close its campus. University and city officials repeatedly told protesters that they must leave, or they could be arrested.
PSU’s president, Ann Cudd, said on April 30 that anyone inside the library was criminally trespassing.
After four days of negotiations failed, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) announced that it was going in on May 2 to clear the trespassers.
“Portland Police personnel swear an oath to protect constitutional First Amendment rights and we are committed to ensuring safety for all Portlanders who exercise their lawful right to assemble and express themselves, but as a city we will not allow criminal behavior that disrupts our community,” Portland Police Chief Bob Day said.
Just after 6:00 a.m., more than a dozen state troopers in riot gear joined officers already on campus.
Police entered the library at 7:47 a.m., PPB said on social media. They encountered extensive barricades, mostly made of piled-up furniture, as well as vandalism, including damage to the fire alarm system.
The occupiers had coated the library floors with soap, or some other substance, reportedly designed to slow police down or make them fall, PPB reported.
“We found caches of tools, what appears to be improvised weapons, ball bearings, paint balloons, spray bottles of ink, and DIY armor,” PPB wrote in a social media post. “None of this was used on police.”
Police met limited resistance. One suspect allegedly deployed a fire extinguisher at an officer. That suspect was arrested, along with two others inside the building.
The remaining occupiers, having received repeated warnings and notice that they were subject to arrest for trespass, fled, according to PPB. Many of them were carrying improvised shields. One suspect was arrested after allegedly attempting to strike an officer with a shield.
At 9:30 a.m., officers reported that they had cleared the library building. Contractors then secured the building with plywood and fencing while a hostile crowd remained at the scene.
Altercations between protesters and officers occurred outside as demonstrators attempted to block police. PPB reported that protesters threw at least one glass bottle at police lines. One officer was injured in a scuffle and had to be transported.
Protesters used trash and recycling bins in an attempt to block the road and charged at police using improvised shields.
Several people were pepper sprayed. Some officers carried 40mm less-lethal launchers, but PPB reports that no munitions were used.
Second Operation
A short time later, activists returned, tore down the fence, and reentered the library. Officers returned and made eight more arrests.Seven officers suffered injuries, the most serious of which was a knee injury that required ambulance transport to the hospital.
A total of 30 people were arrested. Only four of those were PSU students.
PPB is asking for the public’s help in identifying 18 people seen fleeing the library.
In a statement, Ms. Cudd said police entered the library “only after extensive negotiations using faculty members as intermediaries.”
Ms. Cudd expressed gratitude to the city, state police, and other leaders.
“What we’ve seen take place so far on the Park Blocks, while distressing to see, has been peaceful and calm overall, which is an immense relief,” she said. “The safety and well being of our campus community is our top priority.”
Downtown Riots
The downtown area of the city is still cleaning up from the Wednesday night riots.PPB explained in a post on social media platform X that it had learned of a planned march downtown that evening, with some demonstrators allegedly calling for property destruction.
At 6:30 p.m., activists blocked traffic in the area, and marched through downtown Portland breaking windows, tagging buildings with graffiti, and damaging property. They damaged banks, coffee shops, cell phone and electronics stores, retail clothing and accessories shops, and property belonging to Portland State University, according to police.
Many members of the group were uniformly dressed in all black. At least one report indicated there had been an explosion.
An undetonated commercial-grade mortar was recovered, and detonated by the Metro Area Explosives Disposal Unit.
No arrests were made immediately and there were no reports of injuries.
“Arrests do not always happen in the moment,” PPB said on X. “Individuals who engage in violent activity or property destruction will be investigated and are subject to arrest and prosecution.”
PPB said in a press release that it will continue to conduct follow-up investigations, make arrests, and forward cases to the Multnomah County district attorney for prosecution.
Gov. Tina Kotek, a Democrat, condemned the “criminal actions.”
”I fully condemn the criminal actions taken Thursday morning that resulted in the burning of 15 Portland Police Bureau cars, endangering first responders and the surrounding community,” Ms. Kotek stated in a press release.
“I have absolutely no tolerance for discriminatory harassment, violence, or property damage.”
She said this includes the acts of vandalism seen this week at the PSU library and against nearby businesses, which Ms. Kotek said harm “working people, families, businesses, and our community as a whole.”
