During the late evening hours of June 29, 2020, demonstrators once again took to the streets of downtown Portland. They began by blocking vehicle traffic on Southwest 3rd Ave between Main and Madison Streets. Around 1 a.m., they moved to the 2nd Avenue side of the Justice Center and began applying graffiti to the building and blocked traffic on Southwest 2nd Ave between Main and Madison Streets.
Demonstrators began using various tools, including a 2x4 and a hammer, to break windows on the 2nd Ave and Main Street sides of the Justice Center. There were reports of people attempting to enter Central Precinct through the windows that were broken.
Officers responded and cleared the street. After the demonstrators retreated to Southwest 3rd Avenue, officers returned to the 2nd Avenue side of the Justice Center and attempted to clean up the debris that was left in the street.
At around 2:13 a.m., MCSO reported that demonstrators were again ripping plywood off of the building, PPB Officers deployed again in an effort to move the crowd away from the Justice Center. This effort was temporarily successful.
At around 0238, MCSO reported that demonstrators were stacking plywood and other flammable material in front of one of their egress doors. About five minutes later, they did the same thing to the 2nd Ave side of the Justice Center. Around the same time, they broke the windows to an office space housed within the same building, but were unable to make entry.
Officers were able to respond and clear the area, but not make arrests at the time. Some items were confiscated (see photo). There are many pending investigations from the past month's criminal activities in and around the downtown area. PPB continues to manage events and prioritize life safety and protection of critical infrastructure, in addition to managing calls for service throughout the City.
Several windows and glass doors were damaged and broken around the Justice Center building. Additional graffiti was also applied, which is in the process of being removed. The windows and doors are in the process of being re-boarded up.
If anyone has information about criminal activity related to any of the recent demonstrations email CrimeTips@portlandoregon.gov.
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