Meanwhile, police said the rifle magazines and Molotov cocktails was found at Lownsdale Square Park late on Sunday, just hours after two people were arrested following reports that a shot was fired in the same park
Demonstrators and federal officers clash during a Black Lives Matter protest at the Mark O. Hatfield US Courthouse early on Monday. Pic/AP
A night that started with a reported shooting and a bag containing loaded rifle magazines and Molotov cocktails amid a peaceful protest — morphed into an intense early morning confrontation between demonstrators and law enforcement in Portland.
US agents repeatedly fired what appeared to be tear gas, flash bangs and pepper balls early on Monday to clear a mass of protesters outside the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland. Some protesters had climbed over the fence surrounding the courthouse, while others shot fireworks, banged on the fence and projected lights on the building.
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The federal courthouse has been a place of contention as the city has seen nightly protests for two months since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May. President Donald Trump said he sent federal agents to Portland to halt the unrest but state and local officials said they are making the situation worse.
The protest started peacefully, with organisers giving speeches and leading chants with the crowd. But things intensified as the night wore on. US agents declared an "unlawful assembly," and just after 1 am, confronted protesters on the street and worked to clear the area.
Meanwhile, police said the rifle magazines and Molotov cocktails was found at Lownsdale Square Park late on Sunday, just hours after two people were arrested following reports that a shot was fired in the same park. A person believed to be the gunshot victim arrived later at a hospital via a private vehicle with non-life threatening injuries, police said. It wasn't clear if the incident or the bag that was found were connected to the demonstrations
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