Demonstrators injured security guards at Portland City Hall on Wednesday, as they were attempting to protest police brutality due to certain crowd control techniques that were implemented by police during a counterdemonstration on Saturday.
The protesters sought to disrupt a Portland City Council meeting, but the demonstrators did not prompt the city council to address police brutality as intended. The meeting was recessed after members of the audience started chanting “end police brutality.”
During the protests, a security guard was hit on the head multiple times with a megaphone by a protester clad in a mask and baseball helmet. Additionally, City Hall security chief Dorothy Elmore was hit on her arm by a demonstrator.
The protesters originally congregated in reaction to what they described as police brutality during a Saturday rally. At least three demonstrators had to be hospitalized after taking part in a Saturday counterprotest against a scheduled right-wing demonstration in Portland, all of them due to police activity. In two of the cases, flash-bang grenades fired at the crowd by police, possibly unprovoked, are said to have caused injuries.
“I should be home recovering from the pain and trauma I’m suffering. But I’m also suffering from complete outrage and powerlessness,” said Michelle Fawcett, who received third-degree chemical burns from a flash-bang grenade used by police on Saturday, according to The Oregonian.
According to Portland police spokesperson Sgt. Chris Burley, two of the protesters were arrested following the incident and face second-degree trespassing charges.
