PORTLAND, OREGON — Rioters in Portland, Oregon burned American flags and broke down fencing Sunday night, causing officers to respond en masse to disperse the crowd.
Portland’s Sunday crowd was substantial and tense, with a large group of moms from Portland’s “Mothers Against Police Brutality” forming a human barricade in front of the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse. Officers from the Federal Protective Service, a division of the Department of Homeland Security, warned the crowd not to make attempts to break the fencing that had been put up around the building.
As the crowd continued to get more tense, officers began deploying flash bangs on their side of the fence. At one point, some officers came out and began taking aim at rioters with what appeared to be small pellets. The crowd responded with anger, prompting many to quickly work at getting the fencing down.
WATCH:
HUGE and tense crowd out here in Portland. Officers are behind the fence in front of the courthouse. One officer keeps repeating something on the loudspeaker, but I can’t make out what he’s saying: pic.twitter.com/7Q3U79oobm
— Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) July 20, 2020
Officers have added extra protection to the fence tonight after protesters pretty easily dismantled it Saturday: pic.twitter.com/As0leSxGYh
— Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) July 20, 2020
BREAKING: They’ve taken down parts of the fence in Portland pic.twitter.com/b57mVkS8fz
— Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) July 20, 2020
Officers did not immediately respond after the crowd managed to break in, prompting the crowd to continue tearing down the fence and entering the previously cordoned off area of the courthouse. As protesters began trying to barricade the courthouse, officers responded en masse, using numerous tactics to push back the crowd.
Daily Caller reporters witnessed tear gas, pellets and flash bangs being deployed at the crowd. Officers continued to push people back successfully and eventually left the area, prompting many in the crowd to return to the courthouse.
WATCH:
Officers are continuing to push the crowd back further away from the park/courthouse: pic.twitter.com/DiBZvZT2Rs
— Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) July 20, 2020
“Stay together, stay tight. We do this every night,” people in the crowd chanted as they returned to the courthouse. (RELATED: ‘We All Should Be Patriotic’: Veteran Hangs American Flags At Portland Courthouse)
Rioters quickly began to barricade the courthouse once again, and a least two men were seen starting a dumpster fire. One man burned a large American flag and another small one, and other people came with supplies to continue growing the fire. Officers responded to the fire en masse once more, firing tear gas at the crowd and handcuffing at least one person.
WATCH:
What’s left of the American flag continues to burn pic.twitter.com/IRIGmTrOyy
— Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) July 20, 2020
The tear gas is continuing pic.twitter.com/qyNsLLvXL6
— Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) July 20, 2020
After a second round of standoffs between police and rioters, the crowd began to thin around 2 a.m. in Portland. The remaining group appeared to remain in the park across the street from the courthouse, where food and supplies are readily available in the evenings.
Portland has seen riots and protests for over 50 days now. The city had two separate riots Saturday evening, with one resulting in a fire being set inside a police union building.