Rioting erupted Thursday night in Portland, Oregon, as protesters set fires and damaged the federal courthouse.
Earlier Thursday, a security fence erected around the courthouse at the height of last summer’s violent protests was taken down, according to KGW-TV.
As the doors to the courthouse were being boarded up, conflicts emerged between federal officers guarding the courthouse and protesters who were gathered there.
By evening, fires were set and windows were being smashed, leading authorities to respond with tear gas.
Between 50 and 60 people were seen vandalizing the courthouse, according to KOIN-TV.
When the group failed to disperse as ordered, federal officers then moved in to clear them out.
A guy uses a scooter to bash in the window before getting hit with what sounds & smells like pepper balls or some other kind of crowd control munitions #koin6news #pdx #pnw #Oregon #Portland pic.twitter.com/EuyXiYejjs
— Jennifer Dowling (@JenDowlingKoin6) March 12, 2021
Comments are closed.