Portland's May Day March Quickly Spins Out of Control

Debra Heine | 11:42 PM on May 01, 2017

Police try to disperse people participating in a May Day rally in downtown Portland, Ore., Monday, May 1, 2017. Police in Portland said the permit obtained for the May Day rally and march there was canceled as some marchers began throwing projectiles at officers. (Dave Killen/The Oregonian via AP)

Antifa anarchists participating in the Portland May Day march attacked police officers and emergency workers and destroyed property Monday night, forcing the city of Portland to pull the May Day parade permit. Before the march began, police officers confiscated several “homemade shields” from anarchists who had come prepared to do battle.

Permitted #MayDayPDX march to begin soon, starting from Shemanski Park. Multiple homemade shields have been taken for safekeeping. pic.twitter.com/0KfYrl4d7D

— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) May 1, 2017

Once the march began, the agitators proceeded to throw rocks, paint, glass bottles, soda cans, smoke bombs, and molotov cocktails at police officers and police cars.

About an hour into the event, the violent and disorderly conduct escalated into a full-blown riot and marchers were told to disburse or risk being arrested. Portland PD warned the agitators that they were preparing to deploy “impact munitions” and “chemical munitions” due to the numerous projectiles that were being thrown their way. But the rioters defied their orders, instead continuing to taunt the police and throw projectiles at them.

https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/859199612493680641

Police blog Blue Lives Matter describes what happened next:

Officers started pushing the anarchists forward, and they grabbed everything that could burn near SW 3rd Ave and Morrison St and lit a bonfire in the intersection. The rioters were smashing store windows and throwing flares inside.

Then the asskicking came. Portland PD rushed forward, arrested three anarchists, and put out the fire. They kept pushing the crowd forward, arresting more and more anarchists along the way, until finally, there were no more anarchists left to riot.

Portland PD tweeted out some of the arrests:

Permitted #MayDayPDX March Turns Into Riot — 25 People Arrested (Photo) https://t.co/pdSHmw79En pic.twitter.com/muvZhWcjVR

— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) May 2, 2017