Several people at an anti-police protest blocking a street in Portland, Oregon, were injured after a driver rode through a crowd of protesters.
“A car just drove thru a crowd of protesters, dragging one on his hood, during a peaceful demonstration in SE Portland,” said Twitter user Maranie R. Staab, who recorded the incident and posted the 10-second clip online.
Staab, who identifies herself as an independent journalist, said the crowd was gathered to protest police violence, specifically calling for the “abolition of police.”
“The group of approx. 25 temporarily occupied an intersection in an act of civil disobedience in a demand for the abolition of police,” Staab said in a second tweet.
A car just drove thru a crowd of protesters, dragging one on his hood, during a peaceful demonstration in SE #Portland.
The group of approx. 25 temporarily occupied an intersection in an act of civil disobedience in a demand for the abolition of police. #pdx #portlandprotests pic.twitter.com/NI46lhyBSH
— Maranie R. Staab (@MaranieRae) April 30, 2021
The video quickly went viral, garnering more than 1.2 million views. And people across the political spectrum were quick to voice their opinions about the incident.
“There seems to be some confusion re: the circumstances here. No one attacked this car. The majority of vehicles (several hundred over the course of approx. 30 minutes) chose to drive around the block rather than confront protesters,” Staab said in a series of contextual tweets.
It is unclear if the driver initiated the incident, but there are at least three different people who reached through the driver’s rolled-down window to strike him.
Staab continued: “Only this vehicle and several others instead turned and drove into the group. The man who ended up on the hood of the car was standing there when the car drove into him. To anyone hung up on the term ‘peaceful’, I maintain that this was a nonviolent demonstration.”
Only this vehicle and several others instead turned and drove into the group.
The man who ended up on the hood of the car was standing there when the car drove into him.
To anyone hung up on the term “peaceful”, I maintain that this was a nonviolent demonstration.
— Maranie R. Staab (@MaranieRae) April 30, 2021
After several people who responded defended the driver’s actions, Staab reiterated the crowd was peaceful: “For those who know their history, this type of civil disobedience is not uncommon. By definition, ths type of protest is the nonviolent refusal to obey a law; in this case the group temporarily blckd traffic. Unlawful or not, nothing justifies driving into a group of humans.”
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She added: “The amount of vitriol and hate expressed in these comments is distressing and speaks to so much more than this relatively small incident. Ask yourself: why are you so enraged by this?”
The amount of vitriol and hate expressed in these comments is distressing and speaks to so much more than this relatively small incident.
Ask yourself: why are you so enraged by this?
— Maranie R. Staab (@MaranieRae) April 30, 2021
“I didn’t expect this 10 second clip to garner so much attention. I turned off my notifications last night and woke up to over 30 private messages and several death threats. Do better, folks,” Staab concluded, providing screenshots of the messages she received.
There have been at least 23 fatal traffic crashes in 2021 in the city of Portland, according to the Portland Police Department.
