Portland Demonstrators Engage in ‘Night of Rage’ to Protest Death of BLM Protester

Demonstrators in Portland engaged in what was dubbed a “night of rage” to avenge the death of a Black Lives Matter protester who died over the weekend after a man drove his vehicle on a closed freeway, where a protest was taking place.

“The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office is aware of an event tonight calling for a ‘night of rage’ at the Justice Center in Downtown Portland,” Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post Tuesday evening.

“We strongly support the right to demonstrate and for people to use their individual and collective voices to express grief, outrage, and call for action. But criminal activity under the guise of peaceful protests will not be tolerated,” the sheriff’s office warned.

According to KOIN, as many as 200 people gathered in front of the federal courthouse for a sit-in.

“Organizers said they wanted to show police they were peacefully protesting and focusing on the message, not violence,” the outlet reported.

The event coincided with the “night of rage” protest over the death of Summer Taylor, who died Saturday after being struck by a driver who drove his vehicle onto a closed freeway, where a protest was taking place. A judge set bail for the accused driver, Dawit Kelete, at $1.2 million.

Some demonstrators, during the “night of rage,” confronted police officers, as has been occurring for weeks on end:

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, in its warning ahead of the tense night, drew attention to the demonstrators’ “nightly” assault on both the Justice Center and police officers.”

“Individuals have thrown and launched projectiles at police, including improvised explosives, bricks, rocks, commercial fireworks, and metal ball bearings,” the sheriff’s office said. “This is a life safety issue for our first responders and protesters themselves.”

“Multiple deputies and officers have been injured. We have witnessed an increase in fires being set at the Justice Center and at nearby businesses. People have blocked or barricaded entrances, putting hundreds of lives in grave danger,” it continued:

Last week, hundreds of demonstrators gathered for a protest around the Justice Center, which descended into a riot. Rioters targeted officers, throwing commercial-grade fireworks, large rocks, and bottles. They also launched mortars toward the federal courthouse, setting a fire inside:

According to Oregon Live, both the Portland police and Multnomah County sheriff’s deputies:

…have filed court documents that give a day-by-day accounting of their protest response over the last six weeks, including dozens of videos that show violence downtown, photos of broken windows to courthouses and businesses and a list of more than 100 fires set.

“They estimated repair costs to public buildings approaching $300,000 so far and $4.8 million in property damage to businesses,” the outlet reported.

According to journalist Angy Ngo, depletion of resources is part of Antifa’s main objective to “defund” police:

On Tuesday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon unveiled federal charges against demonstrators accused of assaulting federal authorities and vandalizing federal property over the course of the George Floyd protests.

Police are now asking for help in identifying the individual who climbed the Justice Center last month and smashed a security camera with a bat: