Story at a glance:
- Demonstrators clashed on Sunday..
- Hundreds gathered near Tom McCall Waterfront Park in downtown Portland, Ore., to oppose the rally held by alt-right groups.
- Demonstrators were engaged in vandalism and the destruction of an ambulance, and one was arrested for shooting a weapon in public.
A clash took place Sunday in Portland, Ore., between far-left demonstrators, some who identified as so-called antifa — or antifascists — and far-right demonstrators, some of whom were members of the Proud Boys.
The violence occurred in two parts of the city, according to The Washington Post. Far-right groups held a rally in a parking lot in one part of Portland. The event was reportedly put on by Proud Boys, according to KGW8.
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Around 2:30 p.m. hundreds gathered near Tom McCall Waterfront Park to oppose the far-right demonstration, according to The Washington Post. That crowd was made up of left-wing protestors, and some identified themselves as antifa.
Footage obtained by The Guardian shows far-right groups engaging in vandalism and toppling an ambulance. One was arrested for shooting a weapon in public.
The far-right crowd was also firing paintballs.
The city was anticipating protesters for days but said it did not actively intervene because of lack of resources, according to The Washington Post.
Police Chief Chuck Lovell said that responding to every protest would stain the department’s ability to respond to other emergencies.
“As in past such events, we … will make arrests when probable cause exists that specific persons committed crimes. Just because arrests are not made at the scene … does not mean that people are not being charged with crimes later,” the police said in a statement, reported by The Washington Post.
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