State Watch

Portland protesters throw fire bombs on 100th night of demonstrations

Protesters and police clashed in Portland, Ore., on Saturday night following the 100th consecutive day of demonstrations in the city.

Police said that  protesters threw firebombs, Reuters reported.  

“Arrests have been made, yes,” police told Reuters in an emailed statement. Officials did not identify how many arrests were made.

In a tweet, authorities said a “community member” had been injured by the projectiles.

Although protests against racism and police brutality have occurred in all 50 states since the death of George Floyd in May, Portland’s have been some of the highest-profile demonstrations.

Mayor Ted Wheeler (D) and President Trump have engaged in a war of words over the federal response to demonstrations and riots. In a letter last month, Wheeler wrote that the deployment of federal officers to the city had exacerbated the situation. “Your offer to repeat that disaster is a cynical attempt to stoke fear and distract us from the real work of our city,” he wrote. “Stay away, please.”

Weeks ago, a convoy of armed pro-Trump counter-demonstrators entered the city and one, Aaron “Jay” Danielson, was fatally shot in clashes with protesters. U.S. marshals announced last week that a suspect in Danielson’s death, Michael Forest Reinoehl, was killed.

In a separate incident on Saturday night, police said 27 people were arrested after an unlawful assembly was declared while demonstrators marched toward the Portland Police Association building.