Protest turns to riot in downtown Portland

(MAY 30, 2020) Thousands of people attended a peaceful protest. It was in Peninsula Park in North Portland. The protest lasted about three hours on Friday afternoon.

The protesters were angry about the death of George Floyd. Floyd was a 46-year-old black man in Minneapolis. A white police officer held his knee against Floyd's neck. Floyd said he could not breathe. Floyd died, and the police officer was arrested.

Later Friday evening, hundreds of protesters marched through downtown Portland. They damaged stores and cars. They broke windows and lit fires in several locations, including police headquarters and the Multnomah County Justice Center.

Police and firefighters responded. Police called the gathering an unlawful assembly. Later, police said it was a riot. “If you do not go home now, force will be used to disperse you," they said. At least 13 people were arrested by Saturday morning.

Mayor Ted Wheeler wants to prevent more problems Saturday night. So he set an 8pm curfew. People cannot be in public spaces except for work, emergencies, or homelessness.

“Portland, this is not us,” Wheeler wrote. “When you destroy our city, you are destroying our community. When you act in violence against each other, you are hurting all of us. How does this honor the legacy of George Floyd?”