Oregon governor finally activates National Guard to counter violent riots in Portland



The Oregon National Guard was called into Portland after violent riots erupted in the city on Wednesday night. A riot was declared by the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office around 7 p.m. after vandals caused damage in the city.

Police said there were two groups that marched through the streets of Portland, where there have been near-nightly protests and riots since George Floyd's death in late May. Protesters shouted obscenities about Portland's mayor: "F*** Ted Wheeler!"

Content warning: Graphic content

Antifa march through downtown Portland tonight chanting, “F— Ted Wheeler!” #antifa https://t.co/rgUzmfy2bt
— Andy Ngô (@Andy Ngô)1604540125.0

Rioters smashed windows, including a business that had a sign with a Martin Luther King Jr. quote that read: "Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." Protesters dressed in all black burned American flags.

The windows are still crackling- ready to fall in. #koin6news #pdx #pnw #Oregon #PortlandProtests #Protest https://t.co/hJMSrfDOkO
— Jennifer Dowling (@Jennifer Dowling)1604545533.0
American flag being burned in the same intersection we’ve been at. Officers drove by but did not stay. @fox12oregon https://t.co/kIkQytTqQY
— Brenna Kelly (@Brenna Kelly)1604547356.0

The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office said that a "large group of people created a significant risk to public safety." An unlawful assembly was declared, and ultimately a riot was declared by authorities. The Unified Command, which comprises the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office and the Oregon State Police, engaged protesters.

Another unlawful assembly has been declared. Unified Command begins to engage Portland protesters.… https://t.co/B5gK3qMa3e
— Independent Media PDX (@Independent Media PDX)1604558646.0
I think some chick yells out at the end of this "You're racist rapists!" at the Portland Police and National Guard… https://t.co/lotO7Qw26S
— Kitty Shackleford (@Kitty Shackleford)1604559335.0

After months of violent and dangerous riots in Portland, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown finally activated the National Guard to deal with the riots.

Brown deployed 50 National Guard troops in June, but she promised that they were only in Portland as "support personnel" to "care for the injured, processing arrests, directing traffic – much as they do when they are asked to respond to wildfires."

"They will not be on the front lines making arrests or doing crowd control," Brown said. "You don't diffuse violence by having soldiers on our streets. Having soldiers on our streets around America is exactly what President Trump wants. ... I want to ensure that the public can safely raise their voices in this much-needed call for reform."

On Wednesday, the National Guard was on the ground in Portland to help police control the rioters.

The Unified Command issued a statement on the deployment of the National Guard.

"Widespread violence is occurring in Downtown Portland. In the interest of public safety, Governor Kate Brown, under advice of the Unified Command, has activated the use of the Oregon National Guard to assist local law enforcement in responding to any acts of violence, and to maintain public order and ensure community safety. Guard members are trained in crowd control and will be riding with local response teams. They are dressed in military style garb, which is their uniform Oregon National Guard members are civilian community members helping to protect us. We don't take this decision lightly. Under the Governor's Order, we continue to work together and share our resources and information to address any public safety concerns.
The National Guard was activated for the first time tonight in Portland at the #antifa riot. In the past six months… https://t.co/hg7c4AtezY
— Andy Ngô (@Andy Ngô)1604555186.0
The National Guard has arrived in downtown Portland https://t.co/RamlpPyWvJ
— Mike Baker (@Mike Baker)1604550797.0
Officers from several law enforcement agencies and the National Guard are responding to antifa’s regrouped gatherin… https://t.co/qZN7TReqol
— Andy Ngô (@Andy Ngô)1604558910.0

At least 10 people were arrested, including a man allegedly with a loaded rifle, as well as a man suspected to have thrown a Molotov cocktail at police officers. Police also seized gun magazines, commercial-grade fireworks, hammers, and knives.

These are some of the items law enforcement has seized tonight from custodies. Commercial grade fireworks, hammers,… https://t.co/gbBt5EgZEn
— Multnomah Co Sheriff (@Multnomah Co Sheriff)1604549970.0
Several antifa black bloc militants were detained in a parking building in downtown Portland. #PortlandRiots… https://t.co/ur2TrYbnVt
— Andy Ngô (@Andy Ngô)1604554203.0

Prior to Wednesday's violence, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown extended Monday's executive order calling for the Unified Command, a "joint incident command structure allowing multiple agencies to respond to election-related unrest," according to KOIN. The order was set to expire at 5 p.m. on Wednesday and will now run through 5 p.m. on Friday.

"Across the United States, elections officials are working hard to ensure that every vote is counted, and it may be several days until we know the results of this election," Brown said in a press release on Wednesday. "It's important to trust the process, and the system that has ensured free and fair elections in this country through the decades, even in times of great crisis."

Police departments across the nation preparing for election violence: 'I don't think we've seen anything like this in modern times'



Tensions are sky-high heading into the 2020 election, and those combustible forces will be inflamed once the winner of the presidential race is officially announced.

Businesses in major American cities have already started to board up their storefronts in anticipation of potential riots from the election. Law enforcement agencies across the country are also preparing for the worst-case scenario, which could mean widespread violence stemming from the presidential election.

"I don't think we've seen ­anything like this in modern times," Andrew Walsh, a deputy chief with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, told The Washington Post. "When you look at previous elections, there's always been the concern when you have large crowds . . . we know [that] can be a target for someone who has an agenda."

Walsh is concerned that the results of the race likely won't be available on election night, which could exacerbate the already bellicose situation.

"We just don't know how long this is going to take, or what this is going to look like, once this is over ... and no matter who wins, somebody's not going to be happy," said Walsh, who heads the Las Vegas Police Department's homeland security division.

The New York City Police Department said it would dispatch officers at each of the city's 1,201 polling locations on Election Day.

"It is no secret that this election is more contentious [than] in years past," said NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan. "For that reason ... our plan also includes the ability to respond to any type of incident that may occur."

Washington, D.C., canceled days off for police officers starting this weekend. The nation's capital "spent $100,000 on less-than-lethal munitions and chemical irritants for riot control to replenish a stockpile depleted by clashes over the summer," The Washington Post reports.

"It is widely believed that there will be civil unrest after the November election regardless of who wins," said D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham. "It is also believed that there is a strong chance of unrest when Washington, D.C., hosts the inauguration in January."

According to Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown, the department has canceled all days off for its force in November.

Brown said police and emergency responders are training for "whatever scenario happens on Election Day."

"Many cities across the country are doing similar planning," Brown said. "We are all in conversations with our counterparts across the country about what we might expect, but everything is uncertain, and so we're trying as best we can to anticipate any hazard that might happen, including a weather hazard, snow might happen in our city, along with anything related to protests, embedded agitators that might loot or cause violence or destroy property."

The Boston Police Department canceled officers' time off around the election "to provide sufficient public safety."

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said his administration is planning for potential violence stemming from the election.

"What is kind of alarming to me is that the preparation that we're putting into this election we've never had to put into an election before," Walsh said. "I certainly wasn't asked in 2016, 'What's your safety plan for Election Day?'"

Austin Police Department Assistant Chief Joseph Chacon said the department would be on "tactical alert" during the week of the election, and that every officer would be made available to respond to civil unrest.

As early as this weekend, the Texas National Guard plans to send up to 1,000 troops to five cities: Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio.

The Beverly Hills City Council approved "an additional $4.8 million for supplemental police and security services in anticipation of the potential civil unrest around the presidential race," including "hiring two private armed security firms," according to the Beverly Hills Courier.

For the first time in Denver's history, the city is establishing a police command center in preparation for potential post-election unrest.

Denver's Public Safety Director Murphy Robinson said he is aware of two planned protests on Election Day with upwards of 2,000 people each.

A report from The Federalist states that insurgent groups against President Donald Trump have already planned Election Day turmoil to "make sure Trump leaves the White House."

"[W]e're making plans to be in the streets before the polls even close, ready to adapt and respond to whatever comes our way," the group Shut Down DC said on its website. The purpose of the gathering is to "be together to process our feelings of hope, anger, fear and exhaustion as a community."

The New Jersey Department of Homeland Security and Preparedness issued a threat assessment in September that warned about "threats from domestic extremists and foreign adversaries have emerged due to the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-government sentiment, nationwide civil unrest, and various forms of disinformation. These threats will begin to converge with the Presidential election in November in a manner not previously experienced by our nation."

Businesses boarding up in cities across the country in anticipation of election chaos: 'It's pretty scary'



There are still four days until the 2020 presidential election, but businesses in major cities across the United States are already preparing for the worst. This week, there was a major push by businesses to board up storefronts in American cities, including Boston, Chicago, Denver, New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C.

Many of the large cities have already been plagued with protests and violent riots since the early summer, but business owners are anticipating potentially worse chaos on Election Day, and what could turn into election week(s) when the official winner is declared.

In Washington, D.C., luxury retailers have already begun to board up their shops ahead of Tuesday's election. Alex Provenzano, who owns a salon in downtown D.C., boarded up his door and windows on Wednesday.

"I'm usually a very positive person; I hope for the best," Provenzano told USA Today. "But the people are very stressed out, and there is a lot of uncertainty in the country right now. It's pretty scary."

There are even barriers and fences being constructed in the neighborhood near the White House.

Washington DC is boarding up shopfronts, preparing for election destruction. This is the 3rd time they’ve done this… https://t.co/nhh2bGLcwR
— David Lipson (@David Lipson)1603825037.0
Stores near the White House have been boarding up windows ahead of Election Day next week: https://t.co/BM0uL6vDOe
— Nancy Chen (@Nancy Chen)1604075626.0
Luxury shops in DC are boarding up in anticipation of the election. https://t.co/3VMVkvoMsG
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️)1604013036.0
The entire neighborhood surrounding the White House is preparing for mass unrest: boards, chains, fences, and barri… https://t.co/srvOeW1dSo
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️)1604062562.0
With #ElectionDay only a week away businesses in Downtown #DC are gearing up for what could be a night of violence… https://t.co/QNc38cOUld
— Jesse Varner (@Jesse Varner)1603824223.0

Los Angeles has already been hit hard by riots over the past months, which has caused many business to board up previously. Now more business owners are preparing for even more upheaval.

The city of Beverly Hills has reportedly already decided to close down the iconic and swanky Rodeo Drive shopping area on Nov. 3 and 4.

Driving through downtown LA...so many businesses boarded up & in the process of boarding up. Same thing happening i… https://t.co/HsHhcH7sON
— Bill Melugin (@Bill Melugin)1604019495.0

Plywood was also seen being put up on storefronts in San Francisco as if a hurricane was imminent.

Shops in downtown SF boarding up in anticipation of the election. https://t.co/lxYjkm82CI
— Brock Keeling (@Brock Keeling)1604027186.0

In Boston, portions of the Prudential Center was boarded up on Thursday to prevent property damage.

In case it gets ugly on election day, businesses are boarding up around the Prudential Center in Boston. ⁦@boston25… https://t.co/zqx4wN4Nk7
— Malini Basu (@Malini Basu)1604009864.0

In Chicago, businesses along the Magnificent Mile shopping area are boarded up, and there are barriers still remaining from previous protests that escalated into civil unrest.

The Santa Monica Police Department said they have no intelligence of civil unrest on Election Day, but said, "We also know that things can change rapidly and are actively monitoring the situation."

"We have received questions about reinforcing storefronts. As a Police Department, we cannot tell business what to do when it comes to boarding up," the SMPD statement said. "However, we understand the need to feel secure and we respect your decisions on how to handle your day to day operations. If you choose to board up your business or want to have the materials ready to do so, we support you."

In New York City, the NYPD advised businesses located in Midtown Manhattan to "take additional security measures in preparation for the possibility of large-scale demonstrations around the coming presidential election," according to the Wall Street Journal.

The NYPD told businesses they should "move or secure items such as street furniture, trash cans and small planters that are located at sidewalks and plazas adjacent to storefronts before the Nov. 3 election."

ServiceChannel, which provides facility management software and contractor sourcing for 550 brands, noted that "companies including at least 10 luxury brands had ordered board ups or other security measures at 539 locations around the U.S.," according to Quartz.

Professionally boarding up a store can cost more than $5,000, and up to $20,000 for a large store, according to ServiceChannel.