Portland’s 58th night of protests saw one individual stabbed as demonstrators shot fireworks over the federal courthouse fence, lit fires across the downtown area, and hurled objects at federal law enforcement officers.
Demonstrators, many of whom were equipped with “gas masks, shields, leaf blowers, power tools, fireworks, and lasers,” attempted to dismantle the fence surrounding the federal courthouse late Friday night, according to the Portland Police Bureau (PPB):
While some tried to cut the fence with power tools, others hurled various objects — including fireworks — over the fence, targeting federal law enforcement:
Arsonists set fires throughout the area, including in the middle of an intersection, prompting a response from federal law enforcement:
Police received reports of a stabbing shortly after 2:30 AM in close proximity to the intersection fire:
Per the PPB:
Federal law enforcement were out on the street at the time. Portland Police officers began investigating the stabbing and trying to find the victim. Portland Police officers located the victim and medics with them provided first aid. The victim was transported to the hospital by ambulance. Portland Police officers took the suspect into custody nearby. While investigating the stabbing, Portland Police gave public address announcements to people in the crowd ordering them to stay back while officers conducted their investigation.
Early Saturday morning, Portland Police declared the activity outside the courthouse an unlawful assembly and ordered the crowd to disperse. Portland Police officers ultimately came into the area to “secure the scene at SW 3rd Avenue and SW Salmon Street so Portland Fire & Rescue could respond to put out the fire there”:
Federal Protective Service (FPS) Deputy Director of Operations Richard Cline announced this week that at least three federal officers responding to the chaos in Portland may have permanent eye damage due to demonstrators shining lasers into their eyes.
“You’ve seen the green lasers that are being used out there, we have three officers who currently have eye injuries and they may not recover sight in those eyes from those laser attacks,” he said this week.