Hundreds of demonstrators march in Portland on 66th night of protests
Hundreds of people gathered and marched on Saturday in Portland, Oregon, marking the 66th night of Black Lives Matter protests in the city, according to the Portland Police Bureau.
Police said hundreds of people gathered at the federal courthouse Saturday night to protest and hear speeches before marching through downtown. That march was peaceful, police said.
Separately, a few miles east, a group of about 200 people marched from Laurelhurst Park to the Penumbra Kelly Building, and they blocked traffic, directed lasers at officers and threw glass bottles at them, according to Portland Police.
One person in the crowd threw a glass jar or bottle filled with paint, which hit an officer in the head, police said. The officer was not injured.
Police said people with “press” written on their outer garments were among those throwing objects at officers. Portland Police made two arrests throughout the night, according to the statement, and did not use tear gas.
The protests, originally spurred by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, have continued for more than two months in the liberal northwest city.
Last month, the Trump administration sent federal agents into Portland, ostensibly to protect federal property, a move that local and state officials said had escalated the protests.
President Donald Trump and acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf have said the federal officers were there to protect a federal courthouse in the city’s downtown that has been a focal point for protesters. But federal officers have repeatedly clashed with demonstrators, worn military-style fatigues, made arrests in unmarked vehicles and used tear gas on protesters, including the city’s mayor.
Last week, the Trump administration reached an agreement with Oregon’s Democratic governor to withdraw federal officers from downtown Portland, though the Department of Homeland Security said it will maintain a presence in the city until it believes federal locations there are secure.
