Portland ‘protestors’ reportedly smash windows, throw ‘flammable liquid’ into Starbucks
The ongoing protests that have gripped Portland in recent months showed no signs of abating Monday as a group of demonstrators smashed windows at the public safety office at Portland State University and then turned their anger toward a nearby Starbucks into which a ‘flammable liquid’ was thrown and BLM and “ACAB” slogans were sprayed on walls.
According to reports, protestors began to assemble at Director’s Park around 9:00 pm local time Monday night and commenced marching through the area while shouting the name of a Black man who died in a 2018 incident involving campus police.
Officers with the Multnomah County Sheriff’s office were reportedly already on alert about the possibility that the demonstration was a so-called “direct action” protest, which has been known to result in vandalism and other destruction in the past.
Ultimately, police declared the demonstration to be an unlawful assembly and placed two individuals under arrest. Kaiave James Douvia, 22, has been charged with first-degree criminal mischief, second-degree burglary, and second-degree disorderly conduct, according to local Portland CBS affiliate KOIN. Connor Austin, 25, has been charged with interfering with a peace officer.
Protesters have moved to the Portland State Campus Police Building. Chanting “Jason Washington” pic.twitter.com/xzxsTBUSaL
— Travis Teich (@TravisTeichSpx) November 3, 2020
Officers succeeded in thwarting what they referred to as a “possible arson,” ordered the protestors to disperse, and engaged in “high visibility” patrols for a period of time following the unrest, but not before seizing a dumbbell, a tire iron, body armor, and gas masks from demonstrators.
The Portland State University demonstrations come as Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and local law enforcement departments announced initiatives designed to prevent violent demonstrations from gripping the region in the wake of Tuesday’s elections.
…Individuals smashed windows and poured flammable liquid inside the business. Officers interrupted a potential arson. This gathering is still declared an unlawful assembly due to criminal activity occurring. Disperse to the south and west. pic.twitter.com/NSsjOETtbZ
— Multnomah Co Sheriff (@MultCoSO) November 3, 2020
On Monday, Brown signed an executive order delegating Oregon State Police and the Multnomah County Sheriff the task of overseeing public safety in Portland for the entire week, as local ABC affiliate KATU reported. In addition, National Guard Major General Michael Stencel was granted the authority to mobilize troops, should the need arise.
Democrat Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler issued a statement acknowledging the efforts being made by local and state law enforcement agencies to ensure public safety on Election Day and beyond, though he characteristically laid the blame for potential threats of violence at the feet of “white supremacists and the divisive rhetoric from Washington, D.C.”
Given the heightened concerns about potential violence, particularly from white supremist organizations and the divisive rhetoric from Washington, D.C., the need for coordination and partnership takes on statewide significance. Oregon is likely to be a flashpoint.
— Mayor Ted Wheeler (@tedwheeler) November 2, 2020
The relentless unrest and disruption in Portland have raged for months, initially triggered by the Minneapolis death of George Floyd in late May. The often violent and destructive demonstrations, however, have more recently centered on demands for immigration and police reform, anti-capitalist sentiments, and other causes favored by the radical left.
Whether the election aftermath will indeed prompt further unrest in Portland and elsewhere across the country remains to be seen, though business in all corners of the nation have been boarding up storefronts and erecting barriers, in apparent anticipation of riots and looting in response to the outcome of the presidential race.
