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PORTLAND (AFP): Hundreds of state troopers and left-wing protesters were caught in a tense standoff in downtown Portland on Wednesday night (November 5) after violent anti-Trump groups smashed shop windows the day after the election. , which led the state governor to activate the National Guard.
The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office declared a riot and made at least nine arrests, citing “widespread violence” in the city center and repeatedly warning that it could deploy ammunition and tear gas.
Armed police advanced on the protesters in unison, but there were no clashes, according to an AFP reporter at the scene.
The protesters had previously attended a peaceful rally in a downtown park organized by a coalition of far-left anti-capitalist groups that offered lectures and music.
“The mass gathering in downtown Portland is still declaring a riot. Get out of the area now,” the sheriff’s office posted on Twitter just before 8:30 pm (0430 GMT). He previously said that officers were being attacked with projectiles, such as glass bottles.
“In the interest of public safety, Governor Kate Brown, under the advice of the Unified Command, has activated the use of the Oregon National Guard to assist local law enforcement,” he said.
Portland has been the scene of months of clashes between police and protesters, angered by the repeated killings of African-Americans by law enforcement officers across the country.
Protesters who had gathered along the Portland river vowed to “protect the results” of Tuesday’s closed election and held banners proclaiming “Count every vote” and “The vote is over. The fight continues.”
“We want Trump out of office, that’s the main focus,” a protest leader told the crowd, to loud applause.
But several of the protesters were openly carrying 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.” – AFP
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