PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — As they had previously warned, the Fourth of July holiday weekend proved to be a busy one for Portland police, as authorities say officers responded to multiple major incidents, including a protest, shootings and brief street takeovers.
Portland Police Bureau said officers were aware of a planned protest at Lownsdale Park in downtown Portland on July 4, and that around 9:15 p.m., they used a sound truck to ask a group of people near the park to clear the streets for cars and move to the sidewalk. Then at 10:20 p.m., police said they “observed people in the area of the park committing the crime of reckless burning,” according to their PPB Events Messages X account.
KOIN 6 crews who were at the scene that night reported that after 11 p.m., they saw a Portland police van taking several officers in protective equipment as it rolled down the street. Then, half an hour later, they said they saw a group of people move to stand in front of the Central Precinct, adjacent to the park.
Police respond to group near Lownsdale Park allegedly blocking streets
“Some attendees lit small fires. An attendee used a liquid accelerant to extend an existing fire, prompting PPB to use the sound truck to issue a verbal warning,” PPB said in a press release…