One killed as Trump supporters and protesters clash in Portland

One person was shot and killed in Portland, Oregon, as a large procession of President Donald Trump supporters and Black Lives Matter protesters clashed in the streets, police said.

It was unclear if the shooting was related to fights that broke out when a procession of about 600 vehicles was confronted by protesters in the city center.

A freelance Associated Press photographer heard three shots and then observed police medics working on the body of the victim, who appeared to be a white male. The freelancer said the man was wearing a hat with the insignia of Patriot Prayer, a right-wing group whose members have frequently clashed with protesters in Portland in the past.

Police did not release any additional details and were at the scene investigating late Saturday.

“Portland police officers heard gunshot sounds from the area of ​​Southeast 3rd Ave and Southwest Alder St. They responded and located a victim with a gunshot wound to the chest. Medics responded and determined that the victim was deceased.” said the Portland Police Office. in a sentence.

Portland has been the scene of nightly protests for more than three months since the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Many of them end in vandalism and violence, and hundreds of protesters have been arrested by local and federal authorities since the end of May. The procession reached the center just as a protest scheduled for Saturday began. Police made several arrests before the shooting and advised residents to avoid the city center.

The chaotic scene came two days after Trump invoked Portland as a liberal city invaded by violence in a speech at the Republican National Convention as part of his “law and order” reelection campaign theme. The procession marked the third Saturday in a row that Trump supporters have demonstrated in the city.

Trump and other speakers at this week’s convention conjured up a violent and dystopian future if Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden wins in November, pointing to Portland as a warning of what awaits Americans.

The organizer of the pro-Trump rally, who coordinated a similar procession in Boise, Idaho, earlier in the week, said in a video posted to Twitter Saturday afternoon that attendees should only carry concealed weapons and that the route will be maintained. secretly for security. reasons.

The procession had gathered earlier that day in a suburban mall and drove as a group into the heart of Portland. When they reached the city, the protesters tried to stop them by standing in the street and blocking bridges.

Videos from the scene showed sporadic fights, as well as Trump supporters firing paintball pellets at opponents and using bear spray as counter-protesters threw things at Trump’s procession.

The shooting happened shortly before 9 p.m. Pacific time, several hours after the procession began arriving in Portland.

Video posted to Twitter shows BLM supporters cheering for a woman who says, “It doesn’t sadden me that a fucking fascist died tonight,” during a meeting in downtown Portland.

Black Lives Matter demonstrations often target police buildings and federal buildings. Some protesters have called for reductions in police budgets, while the city’s mayor and some members of the black community have denounced the violence, saying it is counterproductive.

Arson outside a police union building which is a frequent site of protests prompted the police to declare a riot.

An accelerator was used to ignite a mattress and other debris that was placed against the door of the Portland Police Association building, police said in a statement. At least one garbage container had also been set on fire on the nearby street.

The commotion followed a sit-in in the lobby of the Portland mayor’s condo building Friday night.

– AP