NBC’s local affiliate KGW reports that protesters in Portland, Reagan, tore down statues of former presidents Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt and smashed windows during a demonstration called “Indigenous Day of the Region” late Sunday night. Is.
Monday is the federal holiday Columbus Day, which some cities and states have named Indigenous People’s Day.
In the evening, Police tweeted That formed a mass marriage and some protesters were “trying to pull down the statue with the chain.”
An hour later, Police revealed The rioters in the protests ordered protesters to disperse and said those who chose to stop would be “subject to arrest, testimonials, or crowd control agents, not limited to tear gas and weapons of impact.”
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Photographs taken after the protest show the statue of Lincoln resting with spray paint on the base of its head, while the statue of Roosevelt rests with orange spray paint on its side. In addition to the statues being overturned, the glass front and doors of the Reg Reagan Historical Society were smashed.
Organizers General Resistance in the protest announcement on Saturday Called on social media “End of colonization” and to eliminate the police in a post where they also demanded not to take any photos or videos.
They also warned indigenous peoples who wanted to bring “drums, medicine or regalia” that “it may not be the best event to bring things that are sacred to you.”
It was not immediately clear whether the statues were defamed by protesters involved in the Generational Resistance March.
Portland has sometimes become a flash point for violent political conflict. George Floyd was murdered by police in Minneapolis, then some protesters lit fires and protested the police. In July, U.S. protests erupted after weeks of violent protests in the city. Agents were sent to guard the Federal Court of the Department of Homeland Security.
President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly criticized the protests in Portland, published a series of tweets about Sunday night’s demonstration on Monday, retweeting what appears to be images of damage and Offer to send Federal law enforcement.
In August Gust, he praised the pro-Trump convoy of activists, whose presence appeared to contribute to the violent clashes in the city.
Kurt Chirabas and Caroline Radnofsky Contributed.