One of the hotbeds of ANTIFA and Black Lives Matter chaos continues to be the city of Portland, Oregon.
While the police continue to fight the violence, they’ve received little support from the city council.
Now, the Sheriff’s office has taken matters into its own hands and tried to alert the public of the damage done by a “Night of Rage” protest yesterday.
The event was organized by ANTIFA and Black Lives Matter protesters.
Here’s the alert directly from the Multonomah County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page:
The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office is aware of an event tonight calling for a “night of rage” at the Justice Center in Downtown Portland. We strongly support the right to demonstrate and for people to use their individual and collective voices to express grief, outrage and call for action. But criminal activity under the guise of peaceful protests will not be tolerated.
The assault on the Justice Center continues nightly. Individuals have thrown and launched projectiles at police, including improvised explosives, bricks, rocks, commercial fireworks and metal ball bearings. This is a life safety issue for our first responders and protesters themselves. Multiple deputies and officers have been injured. We have witnessed an increase in fires being set at the Justice Center and at nearby businesses. People have blocked or barricaded entrances, putting hundreds of lives in grave danger. The Justice Center is a place of critical services, housing for adults in custody and the many staff that supports them.
Our Investigations Unit, along with our agency partners, continue to review video and other evidence to identify suspects engaged in criminal activity, and we will hold those accountable for such actions.
Over the last several weeks, Sheriff Reese has participated in marches against oppression and racism, and continues to meet with community members and leaders to have an open and honest dialogue about the change that is needed in our community. We are listening to concerns and ideas on how together, we can build a safe, equitable and accountable public safety system.
“Nightly rioting, arson, and violence must come to an end. It does not solve the issues our community faces,” Sheriff Reese said. “The criminal activity around the Justice Center detracts from the calls for systemic changes the community deserves.”
Check out the latest news on Twitter about the chaos in Portland:
Meanwhile, Portland's city council continues to allow the protesters to terrorize police and citizens.
The president of the police union today announced a vote of "no confidence" in the Portland City Council according to Oregon Live:
The executive board of the Portland police rank-and-file union voted “no confidence'' in Portland’s City Council, questioning why city commissioners aren’t condemning the violence, fires and damage to businesses occurring in the city at the hands of some demonstrators.
Officer Daryl Turner, president of the Portland Police Association, on Wednesday repeated a criticism he has made in the last week that “a small number of people have hijacked'' important calls for social justice and racial equity and “used the cover of peaceful protests to burn and loot our City.”
Turner also at a news conference released an eight-point plan with suggestions on how to address changes that many police critics are demanding, though his ideas are called “Fund police reform” -- the opposite of a rallying cry among reformers to redistribute money from police budgets or abolish police departments entirely.
He said he has no confidence the City Council will stop the protest violence -- estimated in court documents to approach $300,000 so far in damage to public buildings and nearly $5 million in property damage to businesses -- or support the sworn officers on the streets and guide the Police Bureau into a new era of policing that prioritizes community safety.
“If City Council won’t stand up for Portland,‘' he said. “We will.”
The city’s response to the protests has evolved as the demonstrations against police brutality and systemic racism enter their 42nd day following the May 25 death of George Floyd, a black man who was killed after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes. Thousands of people have gathered peacefully over the weeks but police say a small group has maintained a sustained effort to cause mayhem, including vandalizing buildings and throwing rocks, fireworks and other things at police.
City Council members have repeatedly condemned protesters who have engaged in violence during demonstrations, but have differed in addressing the police response to the crowds.
Mayor Ted Wheeler, who oversees the Police Bureau, has called the use of tear gas “ugly” but has backed using it sparingly, citing the police belief that there’s often not a more viable alternative to quickly move people from an area.
Commissioners Jo Ann Hardesty and Chloe Eudaly have called on the bureau to stop using tear gas altogether and instead consider new tactics that better account for the safety of people who remain peaceful during demonstrations. Hardesty in a response to Turner on Monday said addressing police violence must remain a key topic as protests continue locally and nationwide.
“Community members exercising their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and assembly are not the enemy,” Hardesty said. “I do not want anyone to be harmed during these protests, whether it be our community members or PPB officers.”
Turner said police response times to calls are suffering as the Police Bureau focuses on the protest coverage. “Portlanders are not as safe as they should be,” he said. “They’re not getting the service they should get.”
Also, take a look at this video reporting on the "Night of Rage" protest Portland faced:
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