Police declared a riot in Portland after protesters breached a federal courthouse fence
- Protesters toppled a fence surrounding the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse in downtown Portland early Sunday.
- Federal agents, who have been sent by the Trump administration to help with law and order, then "deployed multiple rounds of tear gas" after police declared a riot, The Oregonian reported.
- Protests have continued in Portland for about two months leading up to the protests that unfolded from Saturday evening to early Sunday morning.
Early Sunday, the police declared a riot in downtown Portland after protesters toppled a fence surrounding the federal courthouse during a night of protests in wake of George Floyd's murder and racism.
On Saturday evening, protesters breached a fence surrounding Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse in downtown Portland.
The Washington Post reported that people marched toward the federal courthouse Saturday evening.
Portland Police said in an announcement that a group of people was able to attach a chain to the fence to pull it down around 1:03 am, noting that a crowd "spent their time shaking the fence around the building, throwing rocks, bottles, and assorted debris over the fence" and "wore gas masks, carried shields, hockey sticks, leaf blowers, flags, and umbrellas specifically to thwart police."
Protesters who had breached the fence did not enter courthouse property, USA Today reported.
After police declared a riot, The Oregonian reported that the federal agents "deployed multiple rounds of tear gas" after declaring a riot in the area.
Protests have continued in Portland for about two months since the death of George Floyd.
The Trump administration recently dispatched federal agents to the city, arguing that state and local leadership was incapable of keeping law and order. After federal agents clashed with protestors, including tear gas and riot-control munitions, the Justice Department's internal watchdog announced it will investigate their response to protests in the city.
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