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The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office cited ‘widespread violence’ in the city center, including glass bottles thrown at police advancing on protesters.
Protesters burn the American flag in front of the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland, Oregon, on November 4, 2020. Image: AFP
PORTLAND – Oregon police and National Guard troops in camouflage trucks chased far-left protesters in the American city of Portland when a riot broke out Wednesday night, leading to at least 10 arrests.
The northwestern city that has witnessed continued protests since the summer had been put on high alert by Gov. Kate Brown, who issued an emergency order on election night amid fears of violent clashes over the disputed US elections.
A heavy police presence flooded the streets after a handful of protesters broke away from anti-Trump protests of hundreds to break shop windows, and a man believed to have thrown a Molotov cocktail was arrested.
The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office cited “widespread violence” in the city center, including glass bottles thrown at police advancing on protesters.
An AFP journalist at the scene witnessed two arrests during a street corner skirmish that left protester Michael Ream with a bloody face.
“It’s the same old thing: the horrible behavior of the police and the terrible legacy they carry every day,” the 38-year-old doctoral student told AFP while the police handcuffed him.
When asked if this week’s contested election had brought him to the streets, he replied: “More or less. I mean, I haven’t come out (protesting) in a while.”
Portland has seen months of clashes between police and protesters, angered by the repeated killings of African Americans by law enforcement officers across the country.
Protesters involved in Wednesday’s clashes had previously attended a 300-person peaceful rally in a downtown park organized by a coalition of anti-capitalist groups with lectures, music and slogans that included “The vote is over. The fight continues.”
The organizer of the demonstration, Evan Burchfield, told AFP that the city has been using the police as a “tool of political repression” for years and that “nothing will really change” if Joe Biden is elected.
Another group of protesters who had gathered along the Portland river on Wednesday vowed to “protect the results” of Tuesday’s closed election and held signs proclaiming “Count Every Vote.”
“We want Trump out of office, that’s the main focus,” a rally leader told the crowd to loud applause.
Several of the protesters openly carried firearms, including rifles, and an anti-racism and anti-imperialism banner featured an image of an assault rifle, with the slogan “We don’t want Biden. We want revenge.”
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