Police Declare Riots At Portland And Seattle Protests; 1 Killed In Austin

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A man holds a sign with the names of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery in Portland on Saturday.

Bradley W. Parks/OPB

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Bradley W. Parks/OPB

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A subsection of the crowd marches toward the Marriott hotel in downtown Portland on Saturday.

Bradley W. Parks/OPB

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Bradley W. Parks/OPB

A subsection of the crowd marches toward the Marriott hotel in downtown Portland on Saturday.

Bradley W. Parks/OPB

Meanwhile, in downtown Portland, thousands gathered Saturday evening, breaching a fence around the federal courthouse building. Police said some protesters threw rocks and bottles over the fence, and used power tools to try to cut through it.

Protesters said they came prepared for tear gas, bringing umbrellas, gas masks and leaf blowers. The police said some of those protesters were using the objects to «conceal criminal acts.»

Some protesters threw aerial fireworks at police throughout the night. «You are on video,» Portland police told protesters over a loudspeaker. «We are filming you,» the man said, ordering protesters to «immediately stop firing fireworks.» In a tweet, police called the actions «criminal and dangerous.»

Around 1 a.m., some in the crowd used a chain to pull a section of the fence down.

«Dozens of people in the crowd maintained this level of violence and tumultuous conduct and were either intentionally or recklessly creating a grave risk of public alarm,» Portland police said. Shortly after the fence came down police declared a riot.

Seattle

In Seattle, thousands gathered downtown early in the evening Saturday, and The Associated Press reports there were no signs of law enforcement at first.

Police said a dozen people set fire to a portable trailer and construction site. Some protesters also broke windows on personal vehicles, a King County court facility, and windows on businesses along 12th Ave. Some were spray painting buildings and trying to disable security cameras, police said.

KUOW’s Esmy Jimenez reported that protesters smashed windows of buildings and cars.

After hours of these reports, the Seattle Police Department declared it a «riot.» Police tried to disperse the crowd by using pepper spray and flash-bang grenades. By 10 p.m. Saturday night, police had made 45 arrests in connection with the protests, for assaults on officers, failure to disperse, and obstruction. Police say 21 officers were injured.

Colorado

And in Aurora, Colo., at a protest seeking justice for Elijah McClain, someone drove toward demonstrators marching on Interstate 225. A protester allegedly shot toward the car, but hit another protester. Several people were reportedly injured.

• Austin
• Seattle
• protests
• Portland