Portland, Oregon’s bout with violence and destruction at the hands of anarchists and violent ideological protesters continued Sunday night with the toppling of two monuments and the destruction of property.
Under the guise of engaging in an “Indigenous Peoples Day of Rage,” protesters ripped down statues of Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. They also shattered the entrance to the Oregon Historical Society and unfurled a banner that read, “Stop honoring racist colonizer murderers.”
The lawless crowd then broke destroyed a sign at the Portland State University Campus Public Safety office before continuing its rampage in Portland’s commercial district, smashing storefront and office towers windows along a seven-block stretch.
Police eventually declared the actions a riot, ordering people to disperse. Law enforcement did not directly intervene for almost an hour after Roosevelt’s statue was ripped down, the first statue to fall.
“F— all you colonizers!…Everyone of you that’s against Black Lives Matter can f— the f— off.”
Antifa rioters in the process of toppling the Portland statue of Roosevelt using chains. They were soon successful in pulling it down. #PortlandRiots https://t.co/XZVbVhJS41
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) October 12, 2020
Organizers encouraged aggression from the crowd, calling for “direct action.” They also threatened people who sought to live-stream and photograph the event. By-standers who wandered into the riot were threatened by demonstrators to stop filming and ordered to delete photographs. One area resident was assaulted with lasers and a liquid thrown in his face by protesters as he appeared to shoot video.
“To those marching downtown: this has been declared a RIOT,” the Portland Police Department tweeted. “All persons must immediately disperse to the NORTH. Failure to adhere to this order may subject you to arrest, citation, or crowd control agents, including, but not limited to tear gas and impact weapons.”
Antifa rioters in Portland have smashed up the Oregon Historical Society tonight. #PortlandRiots pic.twitter.com/aUozlDlBXG
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) October 12, 2020
President Trump responded to the violent anarchy tweeting, “These are Biden fools. ANTIFA RADICALS. Get them FBI, and get them now!”
These are Biden fools. ANTIFA RADICALS. Get them FBI, and get them now! https://t.co/RI9fH6sC1g
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 12, 2020
Moments later, the President accused the protest organizers of taking advantage of those who were unwittingly allowing themselves to be exploited.
