Portland police on Tuesday declared a riot amid a destructive downtown demonstration held on the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder.
About 200 people gathered Tuesday night outside the Multnomah County Justice Center. Some in the crowd lit fireworks and a dumpster fire, tagged the Justice Center with graffiti and broke windows at nearby Portland City Hall.
Some also threw water bottles and fireworks directly at police officers.
Police declared a riot about 10 p.m.
Marchers later smashed windows at locations including a jewelry and precious metals business, Starbucks shops, a credit union and Ruth’s Chris Steak House.
Police said they made an unspecified number of arrests.
A separate demonstration held earlier Tuesday featured a rally at Southeast Portland’s Revolution Hall, a march and a silent sit-in on the Burnside Bridge.
Tuesday marked the passing of a year since a Minneapolis police officer murdered Floyd, sparking an unprecedented push to address anti-Black racism across the country.
The killing, which was captured on video, touched off a wave of racial justice protests throughout the country and world, with Portland’s demonstrations spanning more than 100 consecutive nights.
— The Oregonian/OregonLive
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