SEATTLE — A police precinct in Seattle was attacked Friday night as violent clashes continued there and in Portland, Ore., more than a month after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, FOX reported.
Rioters were seen smashing a window at the entrance to the city’s West Precinct, prompting a group of officers in riot gear to respond in defense from the building and chase the crowd away, video posted on social media by local station KOMO-TV showed.
JUST IN: Tense moments outside Seattle PD’s West Precinct tonight, where mob of angry protesters broke one of the precinct's windows with a rock. Our cameras were rolling as several officers rushed out of the precinct as protesters converged on the entrance. No officers hurt. pic.twitter.com/GJxnmph3ZV
— Preston Phillips (@PrestonTVNews) June 27, 2020
No officers were reported injured in the confrontation, according to KOMO.
Earlier Friday, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan met with some occupants of the city’s controversial “CHOP” occupied protest zone, after some tried to block the city’s effort to dismantle the zone earlier in the day. This comes five days after the mayor said the city would end the occupation.
Omari Salisbury, a local journalist who attended the meeting, told reporters afterward that Durkan had agreed to wait until Sunday morning to remove most of the CHOP barriers, The Associated Press reported.
The mayor initially supported the protest but began looking to shut it down after several shootings occurred in what protesters tried to establish as a “police-free” area. One shooting resulted in the death of a 19-year-old man and severe injuries to another.
Officers had to move as a tactical team trying to reach the homicide scene. Police bodycam footage showed officers arriving and moving through the zone with guns drawn as a group of angry protesters yelled profanities and approached the officers.
In Portland, crowds showed up again Friday night near the Multnomah County Justice Center, a frequent site of unrest, KOIN-TV reported.
We saw what looked like a flash bang device go off near the Justice Center. Protesters are moving closer to SW 3rd & Main. #koin6news #Portland #Oregon #ICE #BLM #protest #2020protests #RoseCity #BlackLivesMatter #PDX #OR #police pic.twitter.com/v7QtdM5oWT
— Jennifer Dowling (@JenDowlingKoin6) June 27, 2020
Multiple demonstrations took place in the city Friday, including an Abolish ICE protest at nearby Terry Schrunk Plaza, the news organization reported.
Hundreds of people participating in an abolish #ICE protest have made their way to Terry Schrunk Plaza. #koin6news #Portland #Oregon #protest #BLM #BlackLivesMattter #PDXprotests #RoseCity pic.twitter.com/AkRYdLVuGV
— Jennifer Dowling (@JenDowlingKoin6) June 27, 2020
Earlier Friday, Portand’s police chief and local black leaders spoke out against violence and vandalism after the city’s North Precinct and nearby businesses were attacked the night before, OregonLive.com reported.
Chief Chuck Lovell called the actions “not only reprehensible, but they’re evil, ‘’emphasizing that people were inside the precinct when vandals blocked side doors by nailing wooden beams across them, and then pushed a dumpster, from which flames were shooting out, along the west side of the building.
“It needs to stop, and it needs to stop today,‘’ Lovell said.
“You attacked our community,‘’ said Nike Greene, director of the city’s Office of Youth Violence Prevention. “We will never stand for that.‘’
Between Thursday night and early Friday, rioters had set fires near the precinct as well as to surrounding structures, FOX 12 Oregon reported.
Multiple businesses in the area were also vandalized and looted, the FOX 12 report said.
This Friday, June 26, 2020, photo released by the Portland Police Department shows damage after protests calling for an end to racial injustice and accountability for police in Portland, Ore. Some protesters set fire to a police precinct, vandalized businesses and tried to barricade police officers inside their station during a demonstration early Friday morning that ended with law enforcement using tear gas to disperse the crowd, authorities said. (Portland Police Department)
“Protests are effective when they are expensive,” one message read.
