By The Oregonian
oregonlive.com
PORTLAND, Ore. — Police arrested six people after two “autonomous” May Day demonstrations in downtown Portland turned destructive late Saturday.
As the sun set on a day of mostly peaceful protests, about 100 demonstrators took to the streets around Shemanski Park, smashing windows and spray-painting graffiti on multiple downtown Portland businesses. Police declared the gathering a riot just after 10 p.m. and began making what the bureau called “targeted arrests.”
Around the same time, the Federal Protective Service, which provides security for federal property, warned a group of several dozen people near the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in South Portland that the building was closed. The gathering was declared an unlawful assembly around 10:30 p.m., and federal officers deployed crowd-dispersal munitions at protesters.
May Day is observed internationally as an annual celebration of labor rights and an occasion to demand better conditions for workers. In Portland, some events have turned raucous in previous years. This year, May Day arrived after nearly a year of racial justice protests and antigovernment demonstrations throughout the city.
According to the Portland Police Bureau, officers seized a baseball bat, body armor, a flare and a knife from demonstrators. The six people arrested were:
- Michael Isaacs, 26, of Portland, who was charged with Menacing and Disorderly Conduct II.
- Phoebe Loomis, 36, of Portland, who was charged with Criminal Mischief II.
- Quang Nguyen, 20, of Kent, Washington, who was charged with Criminal Mischief I and Disorderly Conduct II.
- Krystopher Donnelly, 27, of Portland, who was arrested on a warrant for Riot, Criminal Mischief I, and Resist Arrest.
- Jeremiah Day, 22, of Portland, who was arrested for Menacing officers with a butterfly knife
- Darren Stephens, 36, of Portland, who was arrested for a warrant for Criminal Mischief II.
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Earlier Saturday, demonstrators gathered for a series of events around Portland and in Salem. The largest event began near the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, where about 100 people gathered for a march and car caravan demanding justice for migrant workers. Dozens attended other events, and none of the gatherings turned destructive.
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Early Sunday, several downtown Portland businesses, including Cuốn Vietnamese Street Food, Spa Sasse’, a Hilton hotel and several Starbucks locations, showed signs of damage, including smashed windows, paint damage or both. Demonstrators also broke a window at Portland City Hall.
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