On November 10, 2016, three days of protests in

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...

, turned into a riot, when a group of anarchists broke off from a larger group of peaceful protesters who were opposed to the election of

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

as president of the United States.

Riots

A number of businesses were damaged, and 26–29 people were arrested during the first day of the incident. Police used

rubber bullet Rubber bullets (also called rubber baton rounds) are a type of baton round. Despite the name, rubber bullets typically have either a metal core with a rubber coating, or are a homogeneous admixture with rubber being a minority component. Alth ...

pepper spray Pepper spray, oleoresin capsicum spray, OC spray, capsaicin spray, or capsicum spray is a lachrymatory agent (a compound that irritates the eyes to cause a burning sensation, pain, and temporary blindness) used in policing, riot control, ...

and flash bang devices to disperse the protesters who became violent. During the riot, glass bottles and trash cans were thrown at police. Rioters used rocks and

baseball bat A baseball bat is a smooth wooden or metal club used in the sport of baseball to hit the ball after it is thrown by the pitcher. By regulation it may be no more than in diameter at the thickest part and no more than in length. Although histor ...

s to cause much of the damage. A

dumpster A dumpster is a movable waste container designed to be brought and taken away by a special collection vehicle, or to a bin that a specially designed garbage truck lifts, empties into its hopper, and lowers, on the spot. The word is a generic t ...

was also lit on fire. Members of the protest who opposed the violence intervened when a man tried to destroy a piece of electrical equipment with a bat. Another altercation began when a woman began throwing

laundry detergent Laundry detergent is a type of detergent (cleaning agent) used for cleaning dirty laundry (clothes). Laundry detergent is manufactured in powder (washing powder) and liquid form. While powdered and liquid detergents hold roughly equal share o ...

at people in the crowd. The riot spread from the Downtown area, into the

Pearl District The Pearl District is an area of Portland, Oregon, formerly occupied by warehouses, light industry and railroad classification yards and now noted for its art galleries, upscale businesses and residences. The area has been undergoing significan ...

, where additional businesses were vandalized. At 10:00 p.m., police told protesters who had not returned to

Pioneer Courthouse Square Pioneer Courthouse Square, also known as Portland's living room, is a public space occupying a full city block in the center of downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Opened in 1984, the square is bounded by Southwest Morrison Street on ...

that they would face arrest. Authorities also closed local stretches of Interstate 5 (I-5) and

I-84 Interstate 84 may refer to: * Interstate 84 (Oregon–Utah), passing through Idaho, formerly known as Interstate 80N * Interstate 84 (Pennsylvania–Massachusetts) Interstate 84 (I-84) is an Interstate Highway in the Northeaster ...

as a precaution, and warned motorists to watch for people in roadways. On November 11, the next day, protests continued. Police used flash bangs to disperse crowds until nearly midnight, including one group in front of City Hall. Police made several additional arrests throughout the day. Early the next morning, several people in a vehicle on the

Morrison Bridge The Morrison Bridge is a bascule bridge that spans the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. Completed in 1958, it is the third bridge at approximately the same site to carry that name. It is one of the most heavily used bridges in Portland. It ...

got into an argument with a protester. A man exited the vehicle, and shot the protester before escaping; the injured man's wounds were not considered life-threatening. Police later arrested four men in relation to the shooting, and charged two of them with attempted murder. Police seized a

TEC-9 The Intratec TEC-9, TEC-DC9, KG-99 and AB-10 are a line of blowback-operated semi-automatic pistols. They were developed by Intratec, an American subsidiary of the Swedish firearms manufacturer Interdynamic AB. Introduced in 1984, the TEC-9 w ...

semi-automatic pistol that was found in the suspects' vehicle. The protests remained ongoing into the night of November 12. Police arrested nineteen additional protesters who either refused to leave the area, or were suspected of other crimes. A reporter for local television station

KOIN Koin or KOIN may refer to: * KOIN, a TV station in Portland, Oregon * Koin, Guinea See also * Koine (disambiguation) {{dab ...

was assaulted. In reaction to the ongoing disturbances, police closed

and a two-block perimeter around the park, and warned that anyone who remained would face arrest. Two other people were also assaulted, and a total of 62 people have been arrested as a result of the rioting and other disturbances. On November 13, police updated the figure of total arrests to 113, with 71 arrested on November 12 alone. Protesters reportedly threw lit road flares at police officers.

Damage and aftermath

Numerous businesses were damaged during the rioting. Windows of a

Chase Bank JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., doing business as Chase Bank or often as Chase, is an American national bank headquartered in New York City, that constitutes the consumer and commercial banking subsidiary of the U.S. multinational banking and fin ...

, a Starbucks, and many other privately owned shops were smashed. Twelve vehicles at a

Toyota is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...

dealership, across the

Willamette River The Willamette River ( ) is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Flowing northward b ...

, had windows smashed out, and had roofs caved in. Anti-Trump

graffiti Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...

was

spray paint Aerosol paint (commonly spray paint) is paint that comes in a sealed, pressurized container and is released in an aerosol spray when a valve button is depressed. Aerosol painting is one form of spray painting; it leaves a smooth, even coat, unli ...

ed on buildings downtown. By the fourth day of the riots, Portland police chief Mike Marshman estimated that damages exceeded $1 million. In addition, the cost to the City of Portland exceeded $500,000 in police overtime alone. This cost does not include use of, or damage to, police ammunition, equipment or other property. Police used postings on social media to track down vandals with numerous arrests made in the days following the riots. Damage after anti-Trump protests - Portland, Oregon 02

Damage after anti-Trump protests - Portland, Oregon 02

The Multnomah County District Attorney's Office announced it would not be prosecuting some of the people arrested during the riots, although all 113 arrested were given a criminal citation for failing to obey a police officer, along with a class B traffic violation that carries a presumptive fine of $260. Detectives and prosecutors will continue to investigate and have three years to file felony charges.

Reaction

Portland Mayor

Charlie Hales Charles Andrew Hales (born January 22, 1956) is a former American politician who served as the 52nd mayor of Portland, Oregon, from 2013 to 2017. He previously served on the Portland City Council from 1993 to 2002. Early life and education Charl ...

said that while he supports the right of citizens to peacefully protest, he condemned the violence and warned protesters to stay out of traffic.

KGW KGW (channel 8) is a television station in Portland, Oregon, United States, affiliated with NBC and owned by Tegna Inc. The station's studios are located on Jefferson Street in southwestern Portland, and its transmitter is located in the city' ...

compiled a list of the 112 people arrested during the riots and compared them to state voter logs. They found that at least 79 of the arrested rioters either didn't turn in a ballot or weren't registered to vote in the state.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Portland, Oregon riots, 2016 2016 in Portland, Oregon 2016 riots Articles containing video clips 2016 riots November 2016 crimes in the United States Political riots in the United States Protests against Donald Trump Protests against results of elections Protests in Portland, Oregon Reactions to the election of Donald Trump Riots and civil disorder in Oregon