Businesses in downtown Portland were damaged and vandalized by reported antifa rioters protesting President Biden’s opening of a temporary child migrant facility in Texas.
“When these people come through, and we’ve lost an entire day of business which means that’s impacting my team member’s wages. This has been going on for nine months,” said Jim Rice, who owns Fields Bar and Grill in downtown Portland. “Where are our resources? When do we get enough resources to finally go after and fix this?”
The riots come as the Biden administration opened a temporary child migrant facility in Texas amid a spike in attempted crossings over the border and lower capacity limits at permanent facilities during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The facility was the site of controversy when it first opened up under former President Donald Trump in the summer of 2019, garnering protests outside its gates and a mass walkout of Wayfair employees due to the online retailer supplying the facility with about $200,000 in furniture.
CONTROVERSIAL TRUMP-ERA CHILD MIGRANT FACILITY OPENS UNDER BIDEN, THIS TIME WITH LITTLE PROTEST
Aware of the potential blowback for reopening the facility, the White House has claimed the shelter “won’t stay open very long.”
Journalist Andy Ngo, who wrote a New York Times bestselling book about antifa, documented much of the riots’ destruction on Twitter.
“Portland: Using rocks, batons & weapons, #antifa smashed up businesses and cars in the Pearl District overnight,” Ngo said. “They completely shut down the roads. The same area was severely vandalized by antifa back when Trump won election in 2016.”
Portland: Using rocks, batons & weapons, #antifa smashed up businesses and cars in the Pearl District overnight. They completely shut down the roads. The same area was severely vandalized by antifa back when Trump won election in 2016. pic.twitter.com/5Hcr8COgz8
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) February 28, 2021
Another video shared by Ngo showed rioters smashing the windows of a downtown Chipotle restaurant as customers ate inside.
Overnight, #antifa destroyed numerous businesses in Portland’s Pearl District as part of a pre-planned riot. People were inside this Chipotle at 1201 NW Lovejoy when antifa attacked the building. Watch this video with sound on. #PortlandRiots pic.twitter.com/2LfMAaSrjy
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) February 28, 2021
Despite the consistent threat of similar riots in the city, police were seemingly overwhelmed by the crowd after having to respond to multiple shootings earlier in the evening.
#Antifa force @PortlandPolice to retreat during the riot overnight in NW Portland. Police resources were strained & delayed during the street violence because of multiple shootings across city they had to respond to. #PortlandRiots pic.twitter.com/W1wrxkknRD
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) February 28, 2021
About 150 rioters marched through Portland’s Pearl District, the site of many of the summer’s most destructive protests in the city. Rioters smashed windows and tagged businesses such as Starbucks, Chipotle, Umpqua Bank, and Urban Pantry with graffiti.
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Police were only able to make two arrests, including a 31-year-old rioter that was arrested for criminal mischief and a 17-year-old who was detained for interfering with a peace officer.
The department said more arrests could be made in the future.
