Clashes between protesters and federal police in Portland, Oregon, continued on Sunday when protesters gathered in front of a federal court that has been the site of clashes for weeks.
US federal agents used what appeared to be tear gas, flash blasts and pepperballs early Monday to disperse protesters who gathered at the United States Palace of Justice Mark O. Hatfield, according to The Associated Press.
The Portland Police Department said in a statement that hundreds of protesters gathered around the courthouse and spent hours singing behind a fence in front of it.
Police said around midnight, some protesters fired “mortar-style fireworks” while others scrambled up the fence. At 1 am, a person was said to have lit a fire near the fence while protesters threw objects at it. Federal officials dispersed the crowds in the coming hours, police said, alleging that he was not involved in the confrontation with the protesters.
The events culminated another night of tense protests in Portland, which have seen demonstrations in the city for 60 consecutive days since George Floyd’s police murder in Minneapolis on May 25. Riots have escalated in recent weeks in response to the Trump administration’s deployment of federal officials in the area, and local officials demanded that they leave.
Portland police said earlier Sunday that they had seized a bag containing magazines laden with rifles and Molotov cocktails near where the nightly protests had taken place, although they noted Monday that it did not appear to be associated with the protests. They said a bystander had pointed to the bag as officers investigated a shooting report in Lownsdale Square Park.
Police said they responded to a report of a shooting that day in the area, noting that two people were detained before being released. A third person who was shot was taken to the hospital for non-fatal injuries.
“The ammunition and destructive devices recovered by the Portland police in the area of this incident at the same time appear to be unrelated,” Portland police said. Police did not say whether the shooting was related to the protests.
Sunday’s rally was smaller than previous nights, according to The Oregonian. Some people addressed the crowd in the early hours of the night and allegedly urged protesters to avoid violent confrontations.
But tensions quickly increased later in the night and the police declared an illegal assembly shortly after midnight. Federal officials reportedly fired tear gas and other crowd control items at the same time.
Authorities declared a riot the night before after protesters violated the fence placed in front of the court.
Tensions have increased in the city after President Trump
Donald John Trump Biden to pay tribute to Lewis on Capitol Hill Monday. Cotton asked for comments on slavery in criticism of the 1619 Draft Congress slated for disorderly COVID-19 talks on a tight deadline. He sent federal officials earlier this month as part of a vote to protect federal property. Local officials, including Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler (D), have said that the presence of federal agents has only made matters worse.
Wheeler was hit with tear gas last week after appearing in a protest in federal court. He told reporters at the scene that the actions amounted to a “resounding urban war”.
Protesters in cities like Los Angeles and Seattle took to the streets over the weekend to show solidarity with protesters in Portland. Local police declared riots in Seattle after several buildings were destroyed and some fires started.
Administration officials backed his actions in Portland and Trump last week ordered federal agencies to “increase” their presence in Chicago and Albuquerque, New Mexico Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolfe said in a tweet on Saturday that “It is time for Portland to join other responsible cities around the country to hold criminals accountable and protect property and federal officials.”
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