Rioters in Portland, Oregon have started fires inside a building that holds the county’s sheriff’s office. Police have arrived at the scene and have begun to disperse the protesters.
A vigil for George Floyd, the man killed by Minneapolis police, descended into violence on Friday night in Portland, Oregon. Rioters targeted the Multnomah County Justice Center, which houses the sheriff’s office and detention center. In videos posted to social media, protesters are seen breaking windows and setting fires inside the building. One clip shows a group of rioters smashing computers and overturning desks and furniture.
Masked militants ransacking the Justice Center in downtown Portland. Many came prepared with chemicals to start fires and weapons to break windows. #antifa#BlackLivesMatterpic.twitter.com/jkJCu3bc2n
Protesters can be heard shouting “burn that s**t down” as flames rise from the building’s windows.
It’s on fire. The Multnomah county Justice Center is on fire. pic.twitter.com/PhEhcyDjoE
In a tweet, Portland Police said the center “has been attacked and a fire has been lit inside,” adding that the city’s fire department had been dispatched to the scene.
Portland Police have declared the protest a riot and warned all demonstrators to vacate the area or be subject to “gas, projectiles, and other means necessary for dispersal.”
Riots and protests have sprung up in cities across the United States. The Pentagon is reportedly preparing to send military police to Minneapolis, while several states have already mobilized their national guards.
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