Police arrested and pepper sprayed activists following a protest over a Portland, Ore., police union contract Wednesday.
Don’t Shoot PDX and Black Lives Matter activists had been planning to testify to the city council over a new police contract, reports KATU. They say that they were prevented from being able to.
Some protesters set up tents inside city hall to demonstrate while the council passed the contract with a 3-1 vote. Officials put the building on lock down; police said activists were given plenty of time to leave the building.
Protesters allegedly began throwing “projectiles” at them, according to police.
Police officers and Portland Police Bureau’s Rapid Response Team forced the activists to leave using pepper spray.
“We were peacefully protesting, and then we were ambushed by the Portland Police Bureau and the [Rapid Response Team]. They punched us, they used batons, they dragged us out, they pepper sprayed us,” a protester alleged.
Activists went on to block trains and city buses. A person had to be hospitalized due to a broken arm.
Activists were upset with various parts of the contract, including a part that would let officers look over body camera footage before filing a report. Commissioner Nick Fish said that there was nothing in the contact that addressed body camera footage.
The new police contract would also raise officers’ pay and end a rule that allowed officers to wait 48 hours before having to talk with internal investigators after using deadly force.
Protesters previously requested that current Mayor Charlie Hales put a halt to voting until Mayor-elect Ted Wheeler is in office.
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