Portland Police Bureau

People attempt to cut through fence around Federal Courthouse, launch fireworks, climb over fence

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July 27, 2020 03:15

On July 26, 2020 a crowd of several hundred people gathered along SW 3rd Avenue mostly concentrated outside the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse. People blocked streets in the area around the courthouse. They spent hours yelling, chanting, banging on the fence and throwing objects over it.

At about 11:45 p.m. people began launching mortar-style fireworks over the fence. A short time later people climbed over the fence, entering the portico. At about that time a group lit a large fire in Lownsdale Square Park. People in the crowd continually picked at the fence. Some gathered with shields and umbrellas to cover a person trying to cut through it.

On July 27, 2020 at about 12:59 a.m. somebody started a fire just inside the fence along SW 3rd Avenue. The fire started quickly, grew into large flames on the sidewalk, and was out within about a minute. Following that, dozens of people approached the outside of the fence with shields and began throwing objects over it.

The crowd was dispersed over the course of the next few hours.

Portland Police did not participate in dispersing these crowds, did not make any arrests and did not deploy CS gas.

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Phone: 503-823-0830
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Portland, OR 97204

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