Dozens of people gathered outside of a Portland law enforcement union building, lit a fire, and vandalized the building early Sunday morning.
Around 40 demonstrators placed sticks and twigs near the Portland Police Association headquarters and set it ablaze, authorities said. The structure was tagged with the phrases “Land Back,” “F— 12,” and “ACAB,” which stands for “all cops are b——-,” footage taken throughout the unruly night revealed.
Officers from three different divisions arrived at the scene, and the local fire department was called to extinguish the flames. Police said some of the demonstrators were “periodically blocking vehicle traffic” during the unrest.
Video posted to Twitter appeared to show the blaze raging with the phrase “Nazis Work” in the backdrop.
PPA gets some warmth #PortlandProtests pic.twitter.com/uMJjBdWGX3
— it_ain’t_pretty_ (@it_aint_pretty_) April 4, 2021
Officers donning riot gear can be seen in other clips facing off with the crowd from opposite ends of the street. No arrests were made and the crowd eventually “wandered off” on their own, a spokesperson for the Portland Police Bureau told the Washington Examiner.
The city was a hotbed for riot activity following the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a Minneapolis Police Officer knelt on his neck for over nine minutes in late May 2020. The trial of Derek Chauvin, the former police officer charged with killing George Floyd in Minneapolis, is currently underway. Violent demonstrators, many of whom were fueled by anti-law enforcement sentiment, in September 2020 targeted the Portland Police Association and set fire to plywood slabs that were used to board up the entry points to the building.
A total of 14 people found themselves behind bars by the conclusion of the night for charges, including disorderly conduct, interfering with a peace officer, arson, trespassing, and resisting arrest.
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler on Friday requested former PPA president Brian Hunzeker to resign from his position on the board of trustees for the city’s Fire and Police Disability and Retirement bureau. Hunzeker resigned as president of the law enforcement union amid controversy following an investigation into “alleged hit-and-run by Commissioner [Jo Ann] Hardesty.”
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The circumstances surrounding the incident remain ambiguous.
“The position of trustee is one of great responsibility, and great trust,” Wheeler, a Democrat, wrote in a letter. “Given your recent resignation as President of the Portland Police Association and the basis stated in the announcement of your resignation, I believe it would be appropriate for you to also resign from your position on the FPD&R Board of Trustees. I request that you do so immediately.”
