18 people face federal charges after arrests at courthouse protests in Portland

A total of eighteen people face federal charges for their alleged roles during protests this week at the US Courthouse in Portland, according to the office of the US Attorney for the District of Oregon.

“The Hatfield Federal Courthouse has been a nightly target of vandalism during evening protests and riots, sustaining extensive damage,” the office said Friday in a news release.

The statement says the facility is protected by the US Marshals Service and officers from the Federal Protective Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and US Customs and Border Protection.

Five people were arrested during a protest that started Monday night, seven people for Tuesday night’s incidents and six were detained in one than began Wednesday.

Four people are accused of assaulting an officer. Another faces an arson charge. Most are charged with failing to comply with a lawful order, according to the US Attorney’s office.

All have made a first court appearance and been released, prosecutors said.

President Donald Trump said federal officers were sent to the city to protect federal property, but protesters and local leaders have strongly opposed their presence. Demonstrations, many of which have been peaceful, have been ongoing for more than 50 days.

CNN’s team in Portland on Wednesday night and Thursday morning recorded a large gathering of protesters outside the federal courthouse. Among a mostly peaceful group, some protesters launched fireworks at the building and set several fires outside.

Each major provocation was met with a show of force by federal agents inside the building, who then launched tear gas into the crowd.

CNN witnessed a noticeably more measured response by federal agents compared to previous evenings. Rather than lining up in formation to march protesters back several blocks, federal agents used crowd dispersant projectiles and tear gas long enough to extinguish the flames that had been set, before retreating back into the federal building.

Portland Police said people threw flammable material and incendiary devices over a fence next to the courthouse, starting a large fire, while others breached the fence. Just after midnight, one person in the crowd threw a flaming item into the courthouse, police said.

At just after 12:30 a.m., Portland Police declared a riot due to the “violent conduct of the large group” and told the group to leave. Most refused, police said, and over the next several hours, Molotov cocktails were thrown at the federal building along with hundreds of projectiles. At least one assault was reported, police said.

The group slowly dissipated over the next few hours, police said. Portland Police said they made no arrests.