PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Protesters once again made their way to the federal ICE building in South Portland on Tuesday night.
The evening began with a sign-making event at Elizabeth Caruthers Park in the South Waterfront. A flier posted on social media claimed “several members of Cops NW destroyed BLM artwork on the fence of the Cottonwood School in SW Portland next to the ICE facility.” People were encouraged to bring art supplies, tape and zip ties to “march to ICE and replace was what stolen from the children who attend this school.”
The event started at about 7 p.m. and was followed by a direct action march. Between 75 and 100 people were seen outside the ICE building by about 10 p.m. Federal officers pushed the crowd about a block away and warned people at about 11:15 to not set fire to the building. The crowd moved in closer to the ICE facility and chanted for law enforcement to leave. Federal officers returned and pushed the group back using some crowd control agents.
The ICE building has been a frequent destination for protests in Portland throughout the summer and fall. The most recent demonstration outside of the building was organized to bring attention to those who have died while in ICE custody. The protest ultimately devolved into clashes between demonstrators and federal law enforcement, who used tear gas to break up the crowd.
Previous night
On Monday night, dozens of people gathered at Arbor Lodge Park in North Portland and marched to the Portland Police Association building where a billboard was later set on fire. Police said the group had “support vehicles” in tow as they marched to the PPA building on N. Lombard Street.
Police warned the group over a loudspeaker to stay out of the street and refrain from vandalizing buildings.
Following the warning announcement, some members in the group immediately started to spray paint the PPA building, according to police. Others stayed in the street, continuing to block traffic. Meanwhile, some individuals climbed on top of some nearby business’ roofs.
By 11:15 p.m., police say people had started a fire on the billboard next to the PPA office.
The fire ended up extinguishing itself. Although the attached advertisement was burned, the billboard structure seemed to be unharmed.
The police union headquarters building has been the frequent site of past protests. This spurred another round of warnings from police who said that anyone who engages in criminal activity could be arrested and subject to the use of force.
Ultimately, no arrests were made and the crowd dispersed on its own by about 12: 15 a.m. Police did not interact with the crowd aside from the loudspeaker warnings.
