A protester in Portland pulled a blade on police Saturday after dozens of people gathered outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in another night of unrest in the embattled city, according to police.
Jeremiah Day, 22, was arrested after he grabbed a butterfly knife out of his pocket while law enforcement officers were detaining an unrelated suspect 6 feet away, the Portland Police Bureau wrote. Day allegedly ran from authorities for two blocks and was still holding the blade when he was apprehended.
A caravan of about 30 cars drove to the local ICE facility around the same time that 80 to 100 people gathered near a park. The two protests, which were dubbed “autonomous demonstrations,” occurred on May Day, also known as International Workers Day.
A crowd of people, some of whom donned shields, broke windows and tagged buildings with graffiti as they moved through the streets.
PORTLAND POLICE UNION SET ABLAZE AFTER RIOT DECLARATION
Footage from the night showed a crowd blocking off a street and chasing a car that tried to force its way through the human barricade.
At the #antifa May Day riot in Seattle, the militants tried shutting down the road outside the police east precinct (at the heart of the deadly CHAZ occupation). A driver in a white sedan attempts to drive through but one of the antifa jumps on the car. The driver speeds off. pic.twitter.com/gFDzsoZdis
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) May 2, 2021
Other footage showed dozens of darkly clothed demonstrators moving through the city while officers declared the event a riot.
After holding far-left events for May Day in Portland, #antifa shut down the roads at night & smashed up buildings again. Police declared a riot. At the same time, another antifa mob attacked the @ICEgov facility. Two of them threatened cops with knives. https://t.co/n6nDnCY7VP pic.twitter.com/bKs8MbSDxV
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) May 2, 2021
Authorities arrested six people throughout the night on criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and riot warrants. Law enforcement seized a gas mask, body armor, a baseball bat, and bear spray from those who found themselves behind bars.
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“We appreciate those who engaged in their First Amendment rights this afternoon in a peaceful manner. Once again, under the cover of darkness, several dozen people decided to damage and destroy multiple businesses in our downtown area resulting in a riot,” said Portland Police Bureau Chief Chuck Lovell in a statement. “The situation became extremely dangerous when a man brandished a knife at officers when officers were simply doing their job. The officers appear to have exercised restraint and professionalism and safely apprehended this suspect. I am proud of all of our employees who worked to minimize further damage and arrest some of the criminals involved.”
