Trending Topics

Portland police declare riot, make arrests on anniversary of George Floyd’s death

Marchers lit fireworks, set a dumpster fire and broke windows at multiple businesses

portland oregon riot george floyd anniversary

A group of demonstrators gathered at the Justice Center in downtown Portland on May 25, 2021, to mark the passing of a year since George Floyd was killed.

Dave Killen/The Oregonian

By The Oregonian
oregonlive.com

PORTLAND, Ore. — 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.

[NEXT: 5 changes in LE since the death of George Floyd]

https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1397521489562329091 https://twitter.com/KGWNews/status/1397410506554609665

— The Oregonian/OregonLive

©2021 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit oregonlive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.