Portland riots get ugly again
Portland protesters lit a fire outside a police station and hurled rocks at cops late Thursday — hours after the mayor accused them of “attempted murder’’ by trying to burn down the same precinct house while blocking exits.
A riot erupted at the Portland Police Bureau’s East Precinct on Wednesday night during the city’s 70th consecutive night of protests over police brutality, according to local FOX affiliate KPTV.
Along with setting the blaze, demonstrators allegedly shot fireworks at cops, broke doors and disabled security cameras as police declared a riot and unleashed tear gas.
“When you commit arson with an accelerant in an attempt to burn down a building that is occupied by people who you have intentionally trapped inside, you are not demonstrating, you are attempting to commit murder,” Mayor Ted Wheeler fumed Thursday.
“I believe that city staff could have died last night. I cannot and I will not tolerate that.”
But despite Wheeler’s fury, protesters returned to the police station Thursday night, lit another fire in a trash can next to the building and tried to break in, according to the Portland Police Bureau, which declared another riot.
During the mayhem, protesters threw bottles and rocks, injuring at least one officer, and damaged multiple police vehicles. The injured officer was “severely hurt” by a large rock that hit the cop’s shoulder, police said in a press release.
Wheeler — a Democrat who was tear-gassed by federal officials as he stood with protesters several weeks ago — warned the violence is helping President Trump spread the message that anarchists are running wild in Portland.
“Don’t think for a moment that if you are participating in this activity, you are not being a prop for the reelection campaign of Donald Trump — because you absolutely are,” Wheeler said. “If you don’t want to be part of that, then don’t show up.”
The clashes between protesters and federal agents sent by Trump to guard the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse became a national focal point last month.