Portland protests return downtown as police use tear gas during overnight ‘riot’ Wednesday (1 Viewer)

[dcsports]

Portland protests return downtown as police use tear gas during overnight ‘riot’ Wednesday - oregonlive.com

...About 250 people stayed in the area. Some people in the other group started to move to a fence surrounding the front of the federal courthouse. The first firework of the night exploded around the same time. One person in the crowd pointed a light toward a peephole cut into the plywood surrounding the building. Some people attempted to shake the fence. Another small group of protesters chanted “Quit your job!” near the fenced-off entrance to the parking garage on the opposite side of the building.

...Around 10:50 p.m., someone set off a large firework over the federal courthouse fence. Another firework exploded minutes later. A small fire was sparked near the stone building steps. It was unclear how it started. Someone started a second small fire in the middle of Third Avenue by setting alight a pig’s head.

...The tension remained elevated past 11 p.m. Another firework flashed past the fence, and some people threw objects over the fence. One person walked among the frontline protesters and urged people to remain calm. “You’re giving Trump what he wants,” the person said on a megaphone.

...The crowd’s attention then turned to a line of cars attempting to leave a parking garage across Second Avenue from the Justice Center. One driver navigated through the crowd and was waved through by some protesters. Other drivers were at a standstill. As the drivers waited, Portland police labeled the gathering an unlawful assembly. The declaration came just after 11:30 p.m. Police ordered people to go either north or west.

Night 78 of this, and still the city does not have control.

 

[OrphanSlug]

I'm shocked, anyone else?

 

[Slartibartfast]

I would say both sides are currently at an impasse, perhaps some new ideas should be tried?

 

[gino]

How many businesses have been ruined? How many people needlessly hurt? How can one mayor and city council be so inept?

 

[Drawdown]

And this is why Joe Biden will lose. The rioters don't want Donald Trump out of office because then they would have no justification for their rioting and looting. Dopamine Addiction is real, and it is insatiable.

 

[dcsports]

I would say both sides are currently at an impasse, perhaps some new ideas should be tried?

I'm not sure that it's 'both sides' at an impasse. The people wanting to intimidate people and destroy things have won for 78 nights. They seem to be happy doing so.

The city certainly needs to try some different ideas, but the mayor doesn't seem to want to do so. It's very strange that he and other city leaders are allowing this to continue out of control. Again - it's not the daytime protesters that are a problem, but the people who come out in the late evening to cause problems. It would seem to be easy to focus on that.

There is a tried and true method - the city could impose a nighttime curfew, at least in the courthouse / city hall area. I don't understand why they didn't do this a long time ago. The area most impacted is all government / administrative buildings, where they wouldn't even be impacting homes or businesses. And they clearly need to step up arrests of the troublemakers.

 

[Slartibartfast]

I'm not sure that it's 'both sides' at an impasse. The people wanting to intimidate people and destroy things have won for 78 nights. They seem to be happy doing so.

The city certainly needs to try some different ideas, but the mayor doesn't seem to want to do so. It's very strange that he and other city leaders are allowing this to continue out of control. Again - it's not the daytime protesters that are a problem, but the people who come out in the late evening to cause problems. It would seem to be easy to focus on that.

There is a tried and true method - the city could impose a nighttime curfew, at least in the courthouse / city hall area. I don't understand why they didn't do this a long time ago. government/administrative buildings. And they clearly need to step up arrests of the troublemakers.

If the protests are against the use of force by police, then are you sure that the use of force by the police will dissolve the situation?

 

[dcsports]

How many businesses have been ruined? How many people needlessly hurt? How can one mayor and city council be so inept?

I think that he and the Mayor of Seattle have some kind of bet on that.

 

[Chomsky]

And this is why Joe Biden will lose. The rioters don't want Donald Trump out of office because then they would have no justification for their rioting and looting. Dopamine Addiction is real, and it is insatiable.

This is a crazy hypothesis. The rioters are rioting specifically because they do not like the direction of the country. They want change.

 

[Metric Mouse]

Keep it classy, Portland.

 

[dcsports]

If the protests are against the use of force by police, then are you sure that the use of force by the police will dissolve the situation?

The protests are against unnecessary use of force. Some amount of force is always going to be necessary - and they've had to use it, every night. I'm suggesting looking at other options. If people can't gather in the courthouse area after dark, they won't be assaulting officers and destroying property there. This gives a cooling off period.

More arrests would also discourage that behavior. These people are emboldened by the lack of consequences. For example, they know they can try to set a police station on fire or shine lasers in officer's eyes because the worst that will happen is that they are sent away. It's turning into a nightly party.

And again, we're not talking about protests. The protesters go home around 9pm.

 

[stevecanuck]

If the protests are against the use of force by police, then are you sure that the use of force by the police will dissolve the situation?

They are supposedly against the use of unnecessary and excessive force. There is nothing unnecessary about arresting rioters, and they could make damned sure that any force used is within guidelines.

 

[Slartibartfast]

The protests are against unnecessary use of force. Some amount of force is always going to be necessary - and they've had to use it, every night. I'm suggesting looking at other options. If people can't gather in the courthouse area after dark, they won't be assaulting officers and destroying property there. More arrests would also discourage that behavior. These people are emboldened by the lack of consequences. For example, they know they can try to set a police station on fire or shine lasers in officer's eyes because the worst that will happen is that they are sent away.

And again, we're not talking about protests. The protesters go home around 9pm.

However, the central issue that is fuelling these riots is police brutality, how do we know it just won't attract even more anger and make the riots bigger?

 

[Slartibartfast]

They are supposedly against the use of unnecessary and excessive force. There is nothing unnecessary about arresting rioters, and they could make damned sure that any force used is within guidelines.

One of the issues is the wide disagreement on exactly what those guidelines should be though

 

[stevecanuck]

This is a crazy hypothesis. The rioters are rioting specifically because they do not like the direction of the country. They want change.

Soooooooooo - then riot?

Did they all miss the civics class that explained all about democracy and voting?

 

[Drawdown]

I'm not sure that it's 'both sides' at an impasse. The people wanting to intimidate people and destroy things have won for 78 nights. They seem to be happy doing so.

The city certainly needs to try some different ideas, but the mayor doesn't seem to want to do so. It's very strange that he and other city leaders are allowing this to continue out of control. Again - it's not the daytime protesters that are a problem, but the people who come out in the late evening to cause problems. It would seem to be easy to focus on that.

There is a tried and true method - the city could impose a nighttime curfew, at least in the courthouse / city hall area. I don't understand why they didn't do this a long time ago. The area most impacted is all government / administrative buildings, where they wouldn't even be impacting homes or businesses. And they clearly need to step up arrests of the troublemakers.

Blue leaders letting Blue people tear up blue cities thinking it will change something 100's and 1000's of miles away is the new normal.

 

[dcsports]

This is a crazy hypothesis. The rioters are rioting specifically because they do not like the direction of the country. They want change.

I thought they were protesting against the unnecessary use of force by police. That's local governments, and has nothing to do with Trump.

 

[stevecanuck]

One of the issues is the wide disagreement on exactly what those guidelines should be though

If they need to be changed, then fine. In the meantime, there are looters to arrest.

 

[Slartibartfast]

If they need to be changed, then fine. In the meantime, there are looters to arrest.

Which would then just piss more people off and create a wider issue.

That's the impasse and there needs to be a creative solution to this.

 

[stevecanuck]

Which would then just piss more people off and create a wider issue.

That's the impasse and there needs to be a creative solution to this.

Right, we'll have none of this enforcing the law and protecting property BS. Clearly you don't own a business in harms way. Way to help your fellow law-abiding citizens.

 

[Chomsky]

I thought they were protesting against the unnecessary use of force by police. That's local governments, and has nothing to do with Trump.

Violence, domestic abuse, murders, suicide, are all up majorly this year. It's the stress of the pandemic and crashed economy. That's what happens.

Right the economy, and get people safe & healthy again, and you'll see those problems I listed decrease. We still have to right the wrongs, but health and a good economy go a long ways to citizen peace & happiness.

 

[Slartibartfast]

Right, we'll have none of this enforcing the law and protecting property BS. Clearly you don't own a business in harms way. Way to help your fellow law-abiding citizens.

So perhaps its not an all or nothing thing but a situation where we can have some creativity and find compromise.

 

[Chomsky]

Soooooooooo - then riot?

Did they all miss the civics class that explained all about democracy and voting?

I was addressing the poster's crazy hypothesis, not commenting on the protesters themselves.

 

[Slartibartfast]

Soooooooooo - then riot?

Did they all miss the civics class that explained all about democracy and voting?

Their voice is regularly disenfranchised through things like gerrymandering

 

[stevecanuck]

So perhaps its not an all or nothing thing but a situation where we can have some creativity and find compromise.

That wasn't vague enough. Could you try to inject a little less detail in that?