Police declare riot outside SW Portland ICE building; officers hurt during crowd dispersal

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    PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) — An unlawful assembly was upgraded to a riot Wednesday night in southwest Portland after police said a group became violent outside the ICE building, which was also the location of protests two years ago.

Hundreds of people first gathered Wednesday evening at Elizabeth Caruthers Park located on the 3500 block of South Moody Avenue for a march that began around 9:15 p.m.

The group then marched south to the 4300 block of South Macadam Avenue, where the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building is located. During the march, traffic was blocked by support vehicles associated with the group, the Portland Police Bureau said.

When the group reached the ICE building, police said they blocked traffic on Southwest Bancroft Street at South Moody Avenue. Several members of the crowd were seen carrying shields and wearing helmets and gas masks.

Just before 9:30 p.m., police said members of the group approached the windows and doors to the ICE building, and then began shining lights and lasers at federal officers inside the building.

Group members also started kicking and banging on the doors and windows of the ICE building while others were seen spray painting graffiti on the outside of the building as well.

Police declared an unlawful assembly at 10:07 p.m. and told the crowd to leave the area or be subject to citation or arrest or crowd control methods such as tear gas.

Police said the crowd stayed at the scene despite the warnings given by officers.

About 10 minutes later, officers began to disperse the crowd and were met with glass bottles and rocks thrown at them. PPB said that many in the crowd with shields resisted the crowd dispersal.

Half an hour after the unlawful assembly was declared, police said the crowd returned to the Ice building, with some in the group setting up barricades in surrounding streets and moving a dumpster towards the ICE building.

When, federal officers exited the ICE building, PPB said members of the group began throwing rocks the size of softballs as well as glass bottles at them.

At 10:49 p.m., Portland police again began to disperse the crowd, and officers were hit with large rocks, full cans of soda and a hammer.

It was then that police declared a riot and warnings to leave the area were reported.

During the continued crowd dispersal, PPB reported a cone was thrown at an officer.

At South Gaines Street and South Bond Avenue, police said group members set a mattress on fire in the middle of the intersection.

At 11:30 p.m., a picnic table from a nearby business was moved added to the fire, making it grow. While the fire was burning, group members blocked the intersection and chanted loudly, police said.

About 10 minutes later, police said most of the group left the area and marched back south towards the ICE building. When the group arrived at the ICE building, some began breaking windows to the building.

Police announcements were repeated the crowd, again telling the gathering was still declared a riot and that they needed to leave.

After several warnings, police said most of the group continued to block the street and engaged in criminal behavior and another crowd dispersal ensued.

As the group was dispersed, officers were hit with more large rocks and water bottles, PPB reported. During the dispersal, some people were taken into custody were made. Police did not say how many.

While a small group returned outside of the ICE building, most in the crowd dispersed by 1:30 a.m. Thursday, according to PPB.

Police said officers arrested two people: 30-year-old Joshua Buckley and 25-year-old Mark Putman.

Both were charged with interfering with a peace officer and second-degree disorderly conduct and booked into the Multnomah County Jail.

PPB reported that some officers sustained minor injuries from the rocks thrown at them.

Police said crowd control munitions and CS gas were used during dispersals.

Back in 2018, protesters gathered and camped outside the same facility during the summer to “Occupy ICE.” Those protests began in June and lasted several weeks.

Wednesday night’s riot marked the fourth in Portland in a week:

A riot was declared downtown last Wednesday.
A riot was declared at the Kelly Building Saturday.
A riot was declared at the Multnomah Building Tuesday.

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