Starting in May 2020, protests following the murder of George Floyd were held in the city of Portland, Oregon, concurrent with protests in other cities in the United States and around the world. By July 2020, many of the protests, which had been held every day since May 28, drew more than 1,000 participants. Protests continued into August, September, and October 2020, often drawing hundreds.
While starting out as mostly peaceful demonstrations, by late summer of 2020 riots had exceeded peaceful protests in number and percentage overall. By September of 2020, demonstrations often involved arson, property damage (mostly concentrated in Downtown Portland), looting and vandalism. This pattern of escalation occurred gradually over the summer months, with a notable increase following federal intervention at the downtown courthouse. Confrontations became concentrated in specific areas of downtown Portland, particularly near federal buildings and the Justice Center. By late summer, these incidents had affected public perception to the extent that a majority of Oregonians had come to view the events as riots rather than protests. In response, the US deployed BORTAC and the US Marshals, which heated confrontations with law enforcement and counter-protesters, and prompted increased use of tear gas and other weapons. One person was shot and killed in the aftermath of a clash between protesters and counter-protesters.
In early July, the federal government deployed law enforcement officers to Portland for the stated purpose of protecting federal property amid the unrest. The deployment was criticized for not clearly identifying officers and for seizing protesters not on or near federal property, including by Portland's mayor and most of the state's congressional delegation. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection service defended the practice on the grounds of protecting the officers' personal safety. Several lawsuits were filed by and on behalf of journalists and legal observers against local and federal law enforcement, and by the state against several federal agencies.
Protests continued in Portland in the aftermath of the 2020 United States presidential election, as well as after the January 20, 2021 inauguration of Joe Biden. Protests also occurred near the ICE facility, and clashes occurred with police.
Background
The protests were initially precipitated by the murder of George Floyd, a black man, by police in Minneapolis. The New York Times reported that demonstrators in Portland, including some who identify as Antifa, the loose coalition of self-described anti-fascist activists, have had years of conflict with law enforcement. Other recent police killings of people of color, including Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, and the shooting of Jacob Blake contributed to the national and local unrest driving the protests.
Protesters also drew attention to a number of black people killed by local police. The Oregonian identified the 2003 shooting of Kendra James as an inflection point that galvanized the Black community and inspired a movement to fundamentally reimagine law enforcement. The Oregonian reported that the 39 people killed by Portland police between 2003 and 2020 were disproportionately Black. Among those killed since 2003 are Aaron Campbell, Quanice Hayes, and Patrick Kimmons.
Organizers
A number of different organizations led demonstrations, including Rose City Justice and the Albina Ministerial Alliance. The Facebook and Twitter accounts associated with the Pacific Northwest Youth Liberation Front (or PNW Youth Liberation Front) served as "information hubs" for sharing protest plans. The group did not have identifiable leaders and described itself as a "decentralized network of autonomous youth collectives dedicated to direct action towards total liberation". The groups' Facebook and Twitter accounts were created in February 2017, and amassed 6,100 and 28,700 followers, respectively, as of late July 2020. The group has used a black flag emoji, which often symbolizes anarchism. Children took leadership roles in some demonstrations, in Portland and across the country.
Demonstrations
May
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered on May 28, at one point blocking the entrance to the Multnomah County Justice Center. There were two demonstrations held on May 29. A "Eulogy for Black America" was organized by the Portland chapter of NAACP at Terry Schrunk Plaza in downtown Portland, and a vigil was organized by the PNW Youth Liberation Front at Peninsula Park, in the Piedmont neighborhood of north Portland.
Crowd estimates for the demonstration at Terry Schrunk Plaza ranged from a "hundred or so" to "hundreds" of people; the event included several speakers including Portland City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty. She was reportedly "visibly overcome by emotion" and said, "This is the reality of being black in America. Over and over and over again, black people have been killed, and there has been silence from the majority community. ... Black people are tired. Black people are exhausted by racism." The president of the Portland NAACP chapter, E. D. Mondainé, also spoke.
More than 1,000 people gathered at Peninsula Park, where ministers and Black Panthers spoke against police brutality. From the crowd, hundreds marched to downtown Portland via Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and the Burnside Bridge. Along the way, some people started breaking windows, tagging buildings with graffiti, looting, and setting vehicles and buildings on fire. A riot ensued, prompting Mayor Ted Wheeler to declare a state of emergency. A fire was started inside the Multnomah County Justice Center. Pioneer Place and other storefronts saw looting. The riot lasted for approximately 5 hours; two officers were injured, and 13 people were arrested. The Portland Business Alliance estimated the riot cost local businesses "tens of millions" of dollars because of property damage, looting, and lost wages.
On May 30, Rev. Mondainé posted a video online urging protesters to stay home and calling looting and violence counterproductive. Demonstrators gathered in downtown Portland again; crowd estimates ranged from hundreds to a thousand. One group attempted to break into the Lloyd Center; riot police broke up a group of approximately 200 people outside the shopping mall. Police said that a fire was set inside the Portland Law and Justice Center during the protests. Police declared that they had arrested 16 people by 11 p.m. At least 51 demonstrators were arrested during the night, bringing the total number of arrests to date to 64.
On the afternoon of May 31, a crowd assembled at the intersection of Southwest 3rd Avenue and Main Street in downtown. At one point, in a show of solidarity with Black Lives Matter, some police officers took a knee alongside protesters. By nightfall there were approximately 6,000 demonstrators and protesters. Shortly after the curfew took effect at 8 p.m., police dispersed the crowd outside the Multnomah County Justice Center using tear gas. Separately, an estimated 7,000 to 10,000 people gathered at Laurelhurst Park in southeast Portland, and others assembled outside a former police precinct at the intersection of East Burnside Street and 47th Avenue. Police did not intervene as the group marched from the Multnomah County Justice Center to Pioneer Courthouse Square and back. The Pearl District Neighborhood Association was "advised of potential protest activity" in the Pearl District and the Northwest District. Around 11:30 p.m., saying projectiles were thrown at officers, police declared "a civil disturbance and unlawful assembly" and ordered protesters to leave.
June
On June 1, three demonstrations were organized in Portland. One was held at the intersection of Northeast Sandy and 57th. Others were planned in downtown and at the intersection of Southeast Stark Street and 13th Avenue. More than 1,000 protesters staged a die-in on the Burnside Bridge, then continued to downtown's Pioneer Courthouse Square. Following two hours of speeches, chants, and music, demonstrators returned to the city's east side via the same bridge. Portland Police allowed use of the bridge, and the evening's events remained mostly peaceful.
On the fifth day of protests, hundreds gathered at Pioneer Courthouse Square then staged another die-in on the Burnside Bridge. A second demonstration was organized at Revolution Hall. By the evening, thousands had gathered at Pioneer Courthouse Square. One group returned to the Burnside Bridge, while hundreds remained in the square. Around 8 p.m., the two groups merged and numbered approximately 10,000. The demonstrations were mostly peaceful until later in the evening; most protesters marched across the Burnside Bridge, but police used stun grenades and tear gas on a smaller, separate group of people who were throwing projectiles. Police arrested several people, and 16 were detained. Elsewhere in the metropolitan area, there were demonstrations in Cedar Mill and at Tualatin's Lake at the Commons.
The first few days of June were identified, as of July 8, as having the largest crowds of the Portland George Floyd protests, exceeding 10,000 people. Portland Police Bureau (PPB) declared a riot at one of the protests in early June. Arson, looting, and vandalism, and injuries to two officers were reported since the demonstrations began on May 28. Approximately 100 people had been arrested as of June 2, 2020.
Several thousand people demonstrated on June 3, gathering at Tom McCall Waterfront Park, where Rev. Mondainé and others spoke. Later, groups splintered, with many gathering outside the Multnomah County Justice Center once again. There were other small protests throughout the city, including one in north Portland's Columbia Park and another at Pioneer Courthouse Square. The Oregonian reported an overall crowd size of approximately 8,000.
Thousands demonstrated on June 4. The protests were peaceful until late at night, and twelve arrests were made. Damian Lillard helped lead thousands across the Morrison Bridge into downtown, where protests gathered at Waterfront Park.
There were multiple demonstrations planned on June 5. Don't Shoot Portland organized the "George Floyd Memorial and Benefit Show" at Laurelwood Park. In the Woodstock neighborhood, the family-friendly "Black Lives Matter March & Rally" saw up to 2,000 people march from the All Saints Episcopal along Southeast Woodstock to 52nd, and no incidents requiring police intervention. Demonstrators also gathered at Revolution Hall for the "No Justice No Peace Rally & March". Portland Trail Blazers players Rodney Hood, Nassir Little, and Anfernee Simons all joined. In the evening, protesters pushed down fencing in front of the Multnomah County Justice Center and police used gas and stun grenades for crowd dispersal.
On June 7 in Portland, outside the city's Justice Center, 48 people were jailed in protest. The protest and march originated at Pioneer Courthouse Square. Demonstrators gathered at Southeast Stark Street and 12th Avenue on June 9. There were approximately 500 people outside the Multnomah County Justice Center by 9 p.m.
On June 10, an afternoon rally to disband the Portland Police was held in Terry Schrunk Plaza. In the evening a ride leaving Irving Park was organized by Portland's chapter of Black Girls Do Bike. Several thousand people marched from Southeast Stark Street and 12th Avenue to Unthank Park. Protesters failed to create an autonomous zone similar to Seattle's Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone. Approximately 1,000 people demonstrated on June 11 after an already-planned city budget meeting led to historic levels of public comment, with one city commissioner, Chloe Eudaly, voting "no," stating that the proposed cuts to the police bureau fell short of what demonstrators were calling for. A unanimous vote was required to pass the budget. "While my colleague can take a principled 'no' stance on passing this budget, I as a Black woman cannot," Commissioner Hardesty responded in a statement. "I do not want to let this detract from the very real steps taken, but it is an important reminder on what performative allyship looks like."
For the 17th day, protesters assembled in various parts of the Portland area on June 13. The main march, with at least 1,000 people, went from Revolution Hall, the starting point for most of the marches, and went to Cleveland High School, including a stretch of Southeast Division St. from 11th to 26th. The Clinton Street Theater displayed a quote from Malcolm X on its marquee as protesters marched past. N1789M, a Cessna 208 Caravan surveillance plane linked with the U.S. Marshals Service circled overhead for 3 hours.
About 1,000 demonstrators marched to Jefferson High School on June 14, the 18th day of protests.
At a second city budget vote on the issue, commissioners voted 3–1 to cut PPB funding by $15 million. This would terminate the Gun Violence Reduction Team and cut funding for school resource officers and transit police, while reallocating nearly $5 million to Portland Street Response, which would respond to calls concerning homeless people instead of police. Commissioner Chloe Eudaly again voted "no".
The group Care Not Cops, who wanted more money cut from PPB funding, later that day demonstrated outside of Wheeler's apartment in Northwest Portland. By midnight, they had been joined by hundreds of people, who began blocking off the streets at Northwest Glisan and 10th Avenue with impromptu. Just after 5:30 a.m. police cleared the scene; a police spokesman said there were only about 50 protesters left by that time. Wheeler helped in cleaning up the debris.
June 23 was the sentencing date for Jeremy Christian, who was convicted of murder and attempted murder for an attack in 2017. Three men, all of them white, attempted to stop Christian's attack on two black girls; Christian killed two of them and injured the third. In commemoration of that event, hundreds gathered at Powell Park on SE 26th and Powell for a demonstration and march focusing on white allies. They marched to Reed College, which one of the men killed had attended.
County officials removed a fence that had stood around the Justice Center for several weeks on June 26.