Police Fire Tear Gas, Set off Flash Bangs in Portland
Police fired tear gas to disperse protesters and declared a riot in Portland, Oregon, on August 12, as demonstrations against racism and police brutality entered their 77th night, local media reported.
Police said in a statement that “several hundred” protesters gathered in Chapman Square and Lownsdale Square Park in downtown Portland starting around 8.30 pm. The gathering was declared an unlawful assembly three hours later, when the group moved and blocked traffic outside the Central Precinct.
Police said several officers were injured when protesters threw fireworks, rocks, bottles, and cans of paint as the crowd moved north. A riot was declared just before midnight.
The Oregonian reported that police fired tear gas to quell the crowds – a first since federal officers left the city in late July.
Videos filmed by Rodrigo Melgarejo in the early morning hours of August 13 show police firing gas and setting off flash bangs as a warning is called out over a speaker. Credit: Rodrigo Melgarejo via Storyful
