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One person was shot and killed Saturday night in Portland, Oregon, when a large caravan of Donald Trump supporters and Black Lives Matter protesters clashed on the streets, police said.
It was not clear if the shooting was related to fights that broke out when a caravan 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.
“Portland police officers heard gunshot sounds from the area of Southeast 3rd Avenue and Southwest Alder Street,” Portland police said in a statement.
“They responded and located a victim with a gunshot wound to the chest. The doctor responded and determined that the victim had died. “
Portland has been the scene of nightly protests for more than three months since the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Hundreds of people have been arrested by local and federal police and, prior to the shooting, police made several arrests Saturday and advised residents to avoid the 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 caravan marked the third Saturday in a row that Trump supporters have demonstrated in the city.
The caravan of Trump supporters had gathered earlier that day at a nearby 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 shooting paintball pellets at opponents and using bear spray as counter-protesters threw things at Trump’s caravan.
“There have been some cases of violence between protesters and counter-protesters,” Portland police said via Twitter. “Agents have intervened and in some cases made arrests.”
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.
Early on Saturday morning, fires that broke out in front of a police union building which is a frequent site of protests led 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.
