Nadene Goldfoot
On Friday, August 28, 2020 at about 11:45p.m., a march began from Peninsula Park in the street. Many in the gathering were wearing protective gear, including helmets, goggles or gas masks, all black clothing, and/or carrying shields. Marchers arrived at about 12:10a.m. to the PPA building, in the 1800 block of North Lombard Street. They blocked traffic both directions. Someone cut the power line to the building almost immediately.
Portland gained national attention this week when the head of Homeland Security toured the vandalized Mark O. Hatfield Courthouse, the federal courthouse in downtown Portland.
The PPA office has been the site of numerous violent protests over the past few months, and protesters have lit the building on fire several times. It is located in a residential neighborhood and there is concern that any building fire could spread to occupied homes, especially during the current stretch of dry weather.
About 10 minutes later, individuals wheeled multiple dumpsters into the road and lit at least one on fire. The fire was in the road and not threatening any structures. In the interest of deescalating the situation, Portland Police Bureau (PPB) officers remained out of sight. However, arsonists put some debris, including a large mattress, against the front door of the building, appeared to spray accelerant on it, and lit it on fire. The flames appeared to engulf the front door area of the building and nearly reach the roofline. Due to the extreme life safety concerns, the Incident Commander declared the incident a riot. A warning was broadcast by loudspeaker that the incident was declared a riot and all persons were to disperse immediately to the north. Failure to comply with the order may subject them to citation or arrest to the use of tear gas, crowd control agents, and/or impact munitions.
Officers responded and moved the rioters away from the building so the fire could be extinguished. As officers approached, rioters threw objects at them, including rocks. Multiple officers suffered minor injuries after being struck by rocks. During the response, officers used crowd control munitions. However, no CS (tear) gas was deployed.
There was fire damage to the front of the PPA building (photos). Officers also recovered a bottle that contained flammable fluid (photo). An arson investigator responded and gathered evidence of the crime.
Officers made multiple arrests. Information about the arrests will be released at a later time.
A Goodman family member (remember Doug Goodman of a parking lot in downtown Portland?-good friend of Sam Arnstein, both in AZA) wrote to city mayor Ted Wheeler about what's happening:
https://www.wweek.com/news/2020/08/21/major-downtown-property-owner-urges-city-council-to-address-the-lawlessness-you-are-endorsing-downtown/
https://www.portlandoregon.gov/police/news/read.cfm?id=261151
https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2020/08/1-person-shot-killed-near-downtown-portland-protests-saturday.html
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July 4, 2020 downtown Portland,
OregonPolice
forced to use tear gas on rioters
By a Saturday night in mid-August,
22-year-old K was showing her
sister how to put on a gas mask
and helmet before going to meet
other demonstrators in
Portland’s Laurelhurst Park.
|
 |
| July 22, downtown Portland, OR...Getty image; boarded up businesses to protect windows |
By August 29, one man was shot and killed in downtown Portland as dueling demonstrations; one a pro-Trump car caravan, and another-a counter-protest mounted by various opposing groups--unfolded late Saturday. Portland police said the man was shot around 8:45pm near SW 3rd Avenue and Alder St. The agency didn't say whether the incident was related to the demonstrations or not.
Here's the Portland Police Report on what's been happening to our City of Roses, Portland, Oregon.###PPB###
Individuals within a protest gathering set an arson fire at the offices of the Portland Police Association (PPA) building Saturday morning, prompting a riot declaration. |
| At Portland's federal courthouse building, Black Lives Matter Protests |
On Friday, August 28, 2020 at about 11:45p.m., a march began from Peninsula Park in the street. Many in the gathering were wearing protective gear, including helmets, goggles or gas masks, all black clothing, and/or carrying shields. Marchers arrived at about 12:10a.m. to the PPA building, in the 1800 block of North Lombard Street. They blocked traffic both directions. Someone cut the power line to the building almost immediately.
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| Fires lit in the streets |
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| Acting secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf said "the City of Portland "has been under siege for 47 straight days by a violent mob." Note the graffiti on the wall. |
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| Day 72 of demonstration |
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| Portland Police Union President call for end of all this |
There was fire damage to the front of the PPA building (photos). Officers also recovered a bottle that contained flammable fluid (photo). An arson investigator responded and gathered evidence of the crime.
 |
| Inside PPA building where fire was set |
A Goodman family member (remember Doug Goodman of a parking lot in downtown Portland?-good friend of Sam Arnstein, both in AZA) wrote to city mayor Ted Wheeler about what's happening:
Dear Mayor Wheeler and city council members;
I have attached an article from a recent
Business Journal relating to Standard Insurance,
the largest private business in downtown Portland, moving their
employees to their Hillsboro campus for safety reasons.
A larger number of businesses are moving out
of or locating outside of the Central City. These
companies include, Daimler Chrysler
(subleasing 100k SF), AirB&B, Banana
Republic, Microsoft (80k SF, plus permanently
closing their retail store),
Saucebox, etc.. Google, who leased 90k SF
in the Macy's building has stopped construction
of their improvements. The list goes on and on.
If you know a retail or office broker, give them
a call and ask them how many clients they
have are trying to leave. The number is like
nothing I have seen in 42 years of doing business
in downtown.Their departure has absolutely
nothing to do with Black Lives Matter movement
(which has been a positive), but does have
most everything to do with the lawlessness
you are endorsing downtown. You are doing
an excellent (job) of enabling people who
don't know or care about George Floyd
to ransack our city at the expense
of the people you are trying to help.
Think how many jobs have been lost by
people of color in our city, not through protest,
but from vandalism. I would make the case
that your actions have hurt those
you have intended to help.I would
encourage each of you to walk around
downtown Portland in the morning.
Name the time and I will give you a tour.
You aren't sweeping the streets, needles
are all over the place, garbage cans
are broken and left open, glass from
car windows that have been broken
out is all over the streets, parks are
strewn with litter (their fountains
turned off) weeds are taller than
the plants in the planter boxes,
graffiti is on sculptures, etc.
You are willfully neglecting your duties
as elected officials to keep our city safe and clean.
Business Journal relating to Standard Insurance,
the largest private business in downtown Portland, moving their
employees to their Hillsboro campus for safety reasons.
A larger number of businesses are moving out
of or locating outside of the Central City. These
companies include, Daimler Chrysler
(subleasing 100k SF), AirB&B, Banana
Republic, Microsoft (80k SF, plus permanently
closing their retail store),
Saucebox, etc.. Google, who leased 90k SF
in the Macy's building has stopped construction
of their improvements. The list goes on and on.
If you know a retail or office broker, give them
a call and ask them how many clients they
have are trying to leave. The number is like
nothing I have seen in 42 years of doing business
in downtown.Their departure has absolutely
nothing to do with Black Lives Matter movement
(which has been a positive), but does have
most everything to do with the lawlessness
you are endorsing downtown. You are doing
an excellent (job) of enabling people who
don't know or care about George Floyd
to ransack our city at the expense
of the people you are trying to help.
Think how many jobs have been lost by
people of color in our city, not through protest,
but from vandalism. I would make the case
that your actions have hurt those
you have intended to help.I would
encourage each of you to walk around
downtown Portland in the morning.
Name the time and I will give you a tour.
You aren't sweeping the streets, needles
are all over the place, garbage cans
are broken and left open, glass from
car windows that have been broken
out is all over the streets, parks are
strewn with litter (their fountains
turned off) weeds are taller than
the plants in the planter boxes,
graffiti is on sculptures, etc.
You are willfully neglecting your duties
as elected officials to keep our city safe and clean.
President Donald Trump and Democratic rival
Joe Biden have been accusing one another
over violence that has erupted at protests
in Portland, Oregon. A man linked to a
right-wing group was killed on Saturday,
as elsewhere in the city a pro-Trump
rally clashed with Black Lives Matter
protesters. Mr Trump called participants
of the rally "great patriots" and blamed
the city's Democratic mayor for the
unrest.But Mr Biden accused the
president of encouraging the violence.
Joe Biden have been accusing one another
over violence that has erupted at protests
in Portland, Oregon. A man linked to a
right-wing group was killed on Saturday,
as elsewhere in the city a pro-Trump
rally clashed with Black Lives Matter
protesters. Mr Trump called participants
of the rally "great patriots" and blamed
the city's Democratic mayor for the
unrest.But Mr Biden accused the
president of encouraging the violence.
Resource:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53962363
https://www.kptv.com/news/walking-tour-what-portland-looks-like-now-after-protests/article_5f4881d8-c894-11ea-84d1-9ba7f0652166.htmlhttps://www.wweek.com/news/2020/08/21/major-downtown-property-owner-urges-city-council-to-address-the-lawlessness-you-are-endorsing-downtown/
https://www.portlandoregon.gov/police/news/read.cfm?id=261151
https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2020/08/1-person-shot-killed-near-downtown-portland-protests-saturday.html
