PORTLAND, OR—The Portland Police Bureau declared a riot at the protest outside of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in South Portland on Wednesday, August 19.
Protesters threw softball-sized rocks at police officers, set fires, broke windows, and vandalized the building during the demonstration outside of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement building the Portland Police Bureau reported. Joshua Buckley, 30 and Mark Putman, 25, were arrested by police during the incident.
A couple hundred people gathered in Elizabeth Caruthers Park and began to march around 9:15 p.m. When they reached the ICE building. Traffic was blocked on Southwest Bancroft Street at South Moody Avenue. At about 9:28 p.m., they began to shine lasers at federal officers and vandalize property. The Portland Police Bureau declared an unlawful assembly at 10:07 p.m., making announcements to make people disperse to the north.
By 10:37 p.m., the crowd returned to the ICE building, and began throwing soft ball-sized rocks at police officers. At 10:49 p.m., Portland police began to organize the protesters, but were attacked by large rocks, full cans of soda, and a hammer.
The group lit a fire on a mattress in the middle of the intersection, after they arrived at South Gaines Street and South Bond Avenue. At 11:30 p.m., a large fire was generated on a picnic table from a nearby business. At 11:39 p.m., a majority of the group marched towards the ICE building, and they began breaking windows to the building, according to the police.
Police issued warnings again for the crowd to travel to the north, but most continued to engage in criminal behavior. Officers were hit with large rocks and water bottles. The majority of the group dispersed by 1:30 a.m. Tweets by @MrOlmos are provided videos of the night.
