A demonstration Friday outside a Northeast Portland police precinct escalated to an overnight riot, but unlike many nights in recent weeks, more than 2 1/2 hours passed before protesters’ actions prompted police to make that declaration and advance on the crowd.
Protesters had damaged three police vehicles and pointed lasers toward officers, actions that oftentimes have drawn prompt police force. Instead, police issued repeated orders and requests to stop. At one point, an officer asked the crowd to “self-monitor” and told the group they did not want to declare the gathering unlawful.
Police set off smoke, shot impact munitions and detained at least two people in “targeted arrests” before moving in full force, finally pushing people away from the North Precinct at just after 1 a.m.
The friction began nearly three hours earlier after a crowd of about 300 protesters converged at the precinct. The building, on Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard between Killingsworth and Emerson streets, has been a site of frequent protests, particularly among a splinter group of demonstrators who have provoked police action in recent weeks.
Here are four key turning points from Friday, the 86th straight night of protests against police violence and anti-Black racism:
Immediate actions by protesters:
Marchers arrived at the precinct around 10:15 p.m. Some people immediately walked past police tape and threw eggs and paint balloons onto three police vehicles parked in a blockade. Those vehicles became a main focus of the night.
The first warning from police -- telling people not to throw things -- was greeted by someone throwing a glass bottle. Officers mostly stayed out of sight or dozens of yards away.
The throwing and warnings continued amid chants such as “Stop killing Black people!”
Requests from police:
Loudspeaker messages from police extended beyond demands. Police at first told people to leave Emerson Street to avoid force or arrest. “It is not the intention of the Portland Police Bureau to declare this an unlawful assembly,” the officer said.
After that warning, someone threw a heavy object onto a police vehicle, followed by smaller objects. Police said on Twitter that at least one of the objects had broken a window.
Police then asked the crowd “to self-monitor so this is not declared an unlawful assembly.” Most protesters responded with jeers.
Around 11:20 p.m., police announced that Emerson was closed and told journalists and legal observers that they also needed to go. Protesters did not leave.
Yet police did not advance for nearly two more hours. The extended timeline stood in stark contrast to other nights, when police declared similar gatherings unlawful within minutes.
Escalation on both sides:
Officers first used force just before 11:30 p.m., shooting foam-tipped munitions toward people on the sidewalk, including a person in a wheelchair. Police warned that “officers plan to make targeted arrests.”
Some protesters lit some trash on fire in and near a dumpster on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Other demonstrators punctured at least three tires on the police vehicles and threw two street signs atop the SUVs.
Just after 12 a.m., several officers moved in and arrested someone who had placed objects atop the vehicles. Officers launched smoke canisters from a distance and shot more impact munitions at people standing by the police SUVs. A small group of officers rushed toward the crowd and arrested a second person. Police set off more smoke devices as they made the arrest. Some protesters pointed lasers toward the officers as they made the arrest.
Police used a loudspeaker to warn people not to touch the vehicles and to move off Emerson Street, which officers described as a “restricted access area.” People kept throwing things at the SUVs. Police shot pepper balls toward some people in the crowd, then ordered people again to leave. One person threw an object toward a police vehicle window, shattering it.
Half-mile push:
Rows of officers moved in just after 1 a.m. The crowd had edged closer to police and the vehicle blockade. One person hit a windshield with a hammer. Police used a loudspeaker to declare the gathering an unlawful assembly, then a riot within minutes.
Police set off stun grenades as they forced people onto Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Officers pushed a large group of protesters was pushed on to residential streets for several blocks, to Alberta Street and Vancouver Avenue before retreating.
After a few dozen people gathered again across from the precinct, police again moved in to pressed people south. Officers in riot gear shoved some people and shouted at them to, “Move faster.” The crowd had mostly split up by 2:15 a.m.
The demonstrations ended a workweek punctuated by a fire set inside the Multnomah Building and clashes with officers outside a South Portland federal facility. Portland police and federal officers responded to the protest Thursday outside the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Building.
Friday night’s protest ended hours before a planned counter-rally Saturday noon expected to draw some high-profile right wing activists to downtown Portland.
Arrests: On Saturday morning, Portland police announced they had arrested nine people ranging in age from 18 to 46. Most of the individuals faced numerous charges, including interfering with a police officer, second-degree criminal trespass, escape and attempting to assault a public safety officer.
Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt recently announced his office will drop most charges associated with the protests, including interfering with police, escape and criminal trespass if the allegations don’t involve “deliberate’' property damage, theft or force against another person or threats of force. The office also won’t prosecute people on a riot accusation alone.
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Beth Nakamura, Jim Ryan and K. Rambo of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this report.
-- Molly Harbarger; mharbarger@oregonian.com; @mollyharbarger
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