Protests calling for an end to police violence targeting Black people returned Tuesday in Portland.
Marchers converged around 9 p.m. Tuesday in front of the Portland Police Union headquarters on North Lombard Street. Police quickly labeled the gathering an “unlawful assembly.” Livestream videos shared on social media showed dozens of officers in riot gear standing outside the building.
Police ordered the crowd to move east from Campbell Avenue toward Interstate Avenue, but people remained near the building.
Within 10 minutes, a line of riot officers pressed the crowd east. Police appeared to use some type of impact munitions to disperse the crowd.
A large crowd remained and faced off with police a block east of the building. Police repeatedly told protesters to move east. Officers again pressed the crowd to move east.
“Failure to comply with this lawful may subject you to arrest and crowd-control impact munitions,” police said. “Officers are taking lawful action. Do not interfere with officers taking lawful action.”
Police detained at least four people as they continued to press the crowd toward Interstate Avenue. State troopers also helped police the protest. The crowd chanted, “I don’t see no riot here! Take off your riot gear!”
By 10 p.m., hundreds of marchers remained about two blocks from the building. Police repeatedly used a loudspeaker to order the crowd to move because of “criminal activity” that affected the “safety of others.”
It’s unclear what specific activity police were referencing. Some people did throw water bottles that landed near police, splashing water.
At 10:13 p.m., police declared the event a “riot” and told people to leave immediately. At 10:15 p.m., police told people, “Disperse the area now. CS gas is being used.”
A federal judge has temporarily barred Portland police from using CS gas, a type of tear gas, unless the feel someone’s life is in danger.
People reacted to the gas by streaming east and south. The police line remained three blocks east of the union building until about 10:30 p.m., when police advanced east on Lombard past Interstate Avenue, where some protesters had gathered near a Fred Meyer. As officers and protesters walked east, they navigated around traffic on Lombard. The crowd stopped near the northbound Interstate 5 off-ramps that lead to Lombard.
Officers told people to keep walking two blocks east past Albina Avenue. At least 150 protesters remained near the area, and 50 officers. Traffic backed up on the I-5 ramps as drivers navigated past the crowd.
Police set off devices to disperse the crowd then left en masse around 10:45 p.m.
The crowd began to march west, back toward the area that police had pressed them away from. By 11 p.m., police gathered again at Interstate Avenue, to prevent people from walking west. The police line pressed toward protesters to force the crowd to move east.
Police repeated the demands to move past Albina, telling people that the gathering was a riot. Some people responded by questioning where the riot was.
Still, officers continued to push the crowd forward, using noise machines to make announcements and emit loud noises. Several cops arrived on a vehicle and rushed toward protesters, detaining at least two of them.
The gathering outside the police union came on the eve of a planned Portland City Council vote Wednesday to extend the expiring contract with the union.
The demonstration started in Peninsula Park at 3 p.m. for a potluck, then several people spoke at a rally before the crowd marched to the police union building.
Demonstrators also gathered outside the downtown Justice Center, where protests have continued every night since May 28.
The events come more than a month after the death of George Floyd, which gave rise to the national movement calling for police reforms protecting Black people. Demonstrators continue to turn out daily in Portland to press for change.
Alex Hardgrave and Jim Ryan of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this report.
-- Everton Bailey Jr; ebailey@oregonian.com | 503-221-8343 | @EvertonBailey
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