Portland protests day 55: Demonstrators gather to chant ‘feds go home,’ crowds dispersed with tear gas

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    PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) — Demonstrations continued for the 55th consecutive day in Portland against systemic racism and police violence on Tuesday.

Groups of protesters peacefully gathered throughout the city, including at Revolution Hall, City Hall, and Lownsdale and Chapman Squares. The crowds marched and rallied for several hours and by 9 p.m., thousands came together outside the Justice Center and Federal Courthouse downtown, chanting “feds go home” and “Black Lives Matter.”

Among the demonstrators were the Wall of Moms and PDXDadPod.

Protesters said they came to downtown for peace and to protect Black lives as well as stand up for the future of their children.

“There’s more to it now. They’re trampling on our First Amendment right. Our ability to have the freedom to assemble and to speak, it’s important that we stand up and defend it,” Anne Sherwood of Wall of Moms said. “We’re defending it for our children- we all have children, teenagers who go to school in this city and we’re here because they have a future in this country, a future in a free country. We’re here to defend that for them if I have to take a little bit of tear gas for that, I’m willing to do that.”

At 10:15, some protesters were seen bringing plywood to the Justice Center, according to the Portland Police Bureau. About half an hour later, people started to kick the front doors of the PPB Central Precinct. Meanwhile, others dragged a large metal fence to the west side of the Federal Courthouse.

At 11 p.m., police said protesters kicked and pounded on plywood attached to the west exterior glass doors of the Federal Courthouse. Those who kicked and pounded on the plywood were seen using hammers, crowbars and other pry tools.

Some protesters reportedly carried bats and shields as well as wore helmets and gas masks. Soon after, at 11:05 p.m., the group breeched the west side doors of the Federal Courthouse.

By 11:12 p.m., federal officers began dispersing protesters with crowd control munitions. The crowd moved westbound on Southwest Main Street, but soon after, the group returned to Southwest 3rd Avenue. At Southwest 3rd Avenue and Southwest Main Street, police said the group “aggressively ran towards the portico on the west side of the Federal Courthouse.” At 11:25 p.m., federal officers once again dispersed the crowd.

About an hour later, around 12:30 a.m., people once again converged on the west side of the Federal Courthouse. This time, a fire was set outside the west side doors located on the portico, police said. For a third time, federal officers began to disperse the crowd.

At 12:45 a.m., some members of the group collected fences and road barricades and began advancing on the Federal Courthouse using pieces of the fence as a shield, police said. When people reached the portico on the west side of the Federal Courthouse, they started to stack up pieces of the fence and barricades. Police said this created a hazard to anyone needing to exit the building.

Around 1 a.m., some protesters were seen opening a fire hydrant at Southwest 3rd Avenue and Southwest Taylor Street. They then added soap to the water. Police said that action caused a hazard downtown.

Meanwhile, more small fires were lit, and others vandalized and spray painted both city, federal, and private property. At 1:27 a.m., police said another fire was lit outside an exit door on the south side of the Federal Courthouse. At that time, some protesters successfully tore off a large piece of plywood that had been protecting some glass doors on the west side of the building.

At 1:45 a.m., federal officers dispersed the crowd west from the building. During the dispersal, police said a large fire was started in the middle of Lownsdale Square.

Over the next several early morning hours of Wednesday, police said protesters slowly left the area.

PPB said none of its officers were present during the overnight activity and therefore did not engage with protesters, did not use tear gas and did not make any arrests.

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