PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The City of Portland is still reeling from violent clashes over the weekend after white supremacist demonstrators were confronted by protesters.
On Saturday, a crowd of hundreds of Antifa demonstrators marched through downtown Portland from Lownsdale Park to the Waterfront, then to Pioneer Courthouse Square trying for hours to reach a crowd of a few dozen conservative protestors and members of the “Him too” movement gathered for an opposing rally.
Large groups of officers worked for much of the afternoon to keep the two groups apart, and in some cases succeeded. But the city is facing criticism for yet another day of demonstrations, in which some protestors were pepper sprayed. Others got into violent brawls and a beating caught on camera of conservative freelancer and blogger Andy Ngo is going viral.
Robert King, Mayor Ted Wheeler’s senior advisor on public safety, responded to questions about whether officers were able to step in in time. “I am concerned for any person who’s injured in our community,” King said. “The mayor has been and the chief has been very clear, that the expectation is that the first amendment rights are protected, that the safety of our community is protected, and that the law is enforced.”
Three people who were arrested Saturday appeared in court on Monday on charges of assault and harassment. But the president of the Portland Police Association says right now officers hands are tied, releasing a statement in part, that “It’s time for our mayor to do two things: tell both Antifa and Proud Boys that our city will not accept violence in our city and remove the handcuffs from our officers and let them stop the violence.”
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