Portland showdown
Portland cops let alt-right and antipolice protesters hit one another with bats and homemade shields — and even point guns at each other — over the weekend, deeming it a waste of resources to intervene.
The melee broke out Saturday as about 100 far-right activists, including members of the Proud Boys, staged a “Back the Blue” rally in front of the Multnomah County Justice Center — and were met with counter-protesters that included members of the anti-fascist Antifa, The Washington Post reported.
But though police described it as a riot, cops kept their distance and did not intervene — essentially calling intervention a waste of effort on the city’s 86th day of unrest.
“While the activity in the group met the definition of a riot, PPB did not declare one because there were not adequate police resources available to address such a declaration,” the Portland Police Bureau said in a statement.
“PPB members have been the focus of over 80 days of violent actions directed at the police, which is a major consideration for determining if police resources are necessary to interject between two groups with individuals who appear to be willingly engaging in physical confrontations for short durations.”
Police said both sides were armed
— the far-right group with paintball guns, metal rods and aluminum bats, the anti-police crowd with rocks, fireworks and bottles filled with chemicals, the outlet said.
Cops later confiscated a bucket filled with “condoms filled with an unknown fluid” and a water bottle filled with what police believe was urine, the department said in a Twitter post.
Another video shows a member of the pro-police group pointing a gun at protestors. And a video posted on Twitter captured a woman being punched and knocked to the ground by a protestor identified as a member of the Proud Boys.
But police said there was violence from both sides, with anti-police demonstrators hurling rocks and other objects.
“We are investigating criminal acts when we are aware of them and ask for any victims to come forward so we can build the best case we can for enhanced outcomes of prosecution,” Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell said.
Federal authorities on Saturday forced demonstrators away from the government building, which houses Department of Homeland Security offices.
Mark Morgan, acting head of US Customs and Border Protection, said on Fox News Sunday that “it’s just a matter of time before someone dies” in the Portland chaos.