'Widespread destruction to businesses' in Portland by violent black bloc vandals



Destructive saboteurs purposely damaged at least two dozen businesses in Portland on Friday night. The Portland Police Bureau declared that the night of civil unrest resulted in "widespread destruction to businesses in Hollywood neighborhood."

The Portland Police Bureau stated that a "group of nearly 50 people gathered" and then "vandalized many businesses including many small businesses in their path." The vandals were "dressed in all black and seen wearing helmets and carrying umbrellas."

Tonight, a separate group of nearly 50 people gathered at NE Halsey St and NE 52nd Ave before moving to NE 43rd Ave… https://t.co/G8qgD4zfNq
— Portland Police (@Portland Police)1605942662.0

Police found that the violent black bloc anarchists "vandalized and destroyed private property in both Downtown and Northeast Portland." The rioting group also vandalized the Mexican Consulate.

This evening, a group gathered outside the Mexican Consulate in Downtown Portland. The group was described as dress… https://t.co/xkED441uQL
— Portland Police (@Portland Police)1605938771.0

In videos of the destruction, you can hear glass being shattered as windows of storefronts are destroyed.

Portland still at it I guess, breaking windows on what I'm sure is corporate buildings only. https://t.co/yMH70FZjMw
— Kitty Shackleford (@Kitty Shackleford)1605937773.0

The anti-cop acronym A.C.A.B., which stands for "All Cops Are Bastards," was spray-painted on numerous stores. Banks and a Whole Foods were targeted

(Content Warning: Explicit language)

Portland building damage from the "Trans Day of Rage" (Whole Foods)(BehindEnemyLinesNews Twitch) https://t.co/RUQYmr9vrZ
— Kitty Shackleford (@Kitty Shackleford)1605939048.0


Whole Foods windows damaged on NE Sandy Blvd. #koin6news #Oregon #Portland #pdx #pnw https://t.co/XwssT8DBTa
— Jennifer Dowling (@Jennifer Dowling)1605939798.0


Windows also broken at Chase. #koin6news #pdx #pnw #Oregon #Portland https://t.co/ieWCN1cGxJ
— Jennifer Dowling (@Jennifer Dowling)1605940118.0


Portland Bank of America(BehindEnemyLinesNews Twitch: https://t.co/7KhdKsknN8) https://t.co/n7HIT0JD94
— Kitty Shackleford (@Kitty Shackleford)1605941475.0


Glass door smashed at the Wells Fargo. #koin6news #pdx #pnw #Oregon #Portland https://t.co/uoZ3hXImmG
— Jennifer Dowling (@Jennifer Dowling)1605940454.0

The vandals also spray-painted "Black Trans-Lives Matter," "Gentifiers," and sent a message to the Portland mayor by writing: "F*** Ted Wheeler."

There is a group of antifa in black bloc smashing up numerous businesses again in Portland. They announced their ga… https://t.co/WN0gNMR6sp
— Andy Ngô (@Andy Ngô)1605937908.0

Portland police officers were dispatched to the area. Despite the widespread destruction, no arrests were made.

Also on Friday night, a UPS driver was robbed at gunpoint and kidnapped in Northeast Portland. While the UPS driver was delivering packages, four suspects approached him. One pointed a gun at him and the other three duct-taped his wrists.

The thieves heisted the UPS truck and put the UPS driver in a light-colored Honda. "After a short distance, the suspects stopped, stole packages from the truck, released the driver and took off in their Honda. The driver was not hurt," as reported by KOIN-TV.

On Thursday in Portland, there were tense confrontations between Black Lives Matter militants and police.

There have been regular, near-nightly protests and riots in Portland since late May, following the death of George Floyd, who died in police custody.

Antifa bro smashes up Portland church — so now it's forced to close shelter, halt homeless program that provides meals to hundreds daily



The surveillance video says it all.

A homeless person is curled up Wednesday night on the sidewalk outside the doors of St. Andre Bessette Church in downtown Portland, Oregon.

Image source: Saint Andre Bessette video screenshot

Then into the camera frame comes a marching group of black-clad Antifa militants.

One of them approaches the area where the homeless person is curled up, pays no attention to the individual, and proceeds to the task at hand: Busting up the church's doors and windows.

Image source: Saint Andre Bessette video screenshot

He then pathetically holds open the busted out door, presumably to let his comrades inside to do their usual ransacking and pillaging — but they ignore him as the terrified homeless person runs off.

Image source: Saint Andre Bessette video screenshot

Finally, one of his buddies armed with a black umbrella has to pry the thug away.

Image source: Saint Andre Bessette video screenshot

All in a night's work, eh?

What happened next?

Unfortunately, because of the extensive damage to the doors and windows, the church leader who filed the police report told officers the church was forced to close its shelter and halt homeless services for the foreseeable future because staff can't safely open or close the building's doors. St. Andre Bessette serves several hundred people a day, providing shelter, meals and other services to homeless individuals, police added.

"The act of one person has prevented us from providing for hundreds of people."Surveillance video shows crowd mar… https://t.co/4hGx08jaUQ
— Jacquelyn Abad (@Jacquelyn Abad)1604614528.0

"Until I can get the building secured, everything's coming to a stop," Father Tom Gaughan told KGW-TV. "So, there's hundreds of people that we would normally give out food to, and we're not gonna be able to because of this."

Gaughan added to the station that he didn't know how long it would take to make the building safe. St. Andre Bessette is a Catholic church.

Windows broken at this church. #koin6news #pdx #pnw #Oregon #PortlandProtests #Protest https://t.co/2PVkKKwHZ3
— Jennifer Dowling (@Jennifer Dowling)1604544734.0

Gaughan added to KOIN-TV that he's also suspending church services, including mass, until the building is secured — and that, for now, mass will be livestreamed on Facebook.

"We ask for everyones prayers for peace in our streets which is so long overdue and pray for our sisters and brothers who call the streets and shelters home," Gaughan also told KOIN. "Because the act of one person has prevented us from providing for hundreds of people over the course of a week."

What did public officials have to say?

Multnomah County Sheriff Mike Reese condemned those who damaged not just to the church but other downtown buildings as well: "Last night's criminal activity targeting the Downtown Portland neighborhood was reprehensible and impacts all Oregonians. The loss of shelter beds due to violence and vandalism comes at a time when we desperately need safe space for vulnerable individuals to seek refuge from a pandemic and colder, rainier weather. This hurts the community's efforts to get people off the streets and connected to the crucial resources they need."

Gov. Kate Brown condemned the "self-styled anarchist protesters, some armed" who "marched downtown last night, with no discernible goal other than to cause violence and vandalism," KOIN reported.

She added that they "shattered the windows of a church that feeds Oregonians in need, a women-owned and operated business that raises money for immigrant and women's rights, and many other storefronts. Indiscriminate destruction solves nothing. These are acts of privilege."

Rioters damage church, shops in downtown Portlandyoutu.be

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."