Portland police announced the riot on Monday after hundreds of protesters marched on Mayor Ted Wheeler’s residence on the Condominium Tower to demand his resignation, according to reports.
There was a crowd of about 200 people to jokingly celebrate the mayor’s birthday before the demonstration quickly turned destructive and before the “arson incident” took place.
According to KATU News reporter Alison Mechanic, who posted the video on Twitter, protesters set fire to the street, as some danced on “Makerena”. Others put up a picnic table from a nearby business to feed Blaze
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Protesters smashed windows and entered dental office fees, carrying items – including a chair – to extinguish the fire. Located on the ground floor of a residential building around 11pm, a bundle of newspapers was also set on fire and thrown into the storefront – police will declare a riot to gather people.
“It was a blaze that declared a riot tonight,” police wrote on Twitter. “It was important to secure the area to allow the fire brigade to respond to this dangerous situation.”
Mike Baker, a reporter with the New York Times, tweeted that some protesters were offended by the protesters’ actions on Monday because they “put people in the complex building and minority-owned businesses at risk.”
Earlier in the night, protesters caught Wheeler, 58, singing a modified version of “Happy Birthday” on video.
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Protesters sang in part, “Happy Tear Gas Four [inaudible] Wheeler, happy tear gas to you, “said KTU News photographer Carrie Young, who posted the footer on Twitter.
Wheeler has been targeted by some protesters in Portland, who say it was too heavy to be used by the city’s police force. Protesters have demanded a reduction in the police budget, as well as resignations. There was a protest in his condo lobby on Friday.
Sunday in Portland, re, 30g. Portland police took control of the streets after arrests were made at the Portland Police Quad on the night of the 30th, 2020 protest. (AP Photo / Paula Bronstein)
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Portland has been gripped by nighttime protests for three months over the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis. Demonstrations, often violent, usually target police buildings and federal buildings. Some protesters have called for a reduction in the police budget, while the city’s mayor and some members of the black community have denied the violence, saying it is hostile.
Edmund DeMarch of Fox News contributed to this report
