PPB chief to speak as police prep for weekend protests
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- As officers prepare for the potential left- and right-wing protests planned for the weekend, Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell is set to hold a press conference on Thursday.
Organizers for one event at Delta Park announced it would start at noon on Saturday, while another group has planned an event three miles away at Peninsula Park starting at the same time, police said. However, citing crowd estimates that run counter to COVID-19 guidelines, the Portland Parks and Recreation Bureau denied a permit to the Proud Boys for a rally in North Portland on Saturday.
Chief Lovell is expected to speak to the media on Thursday afternoon. KOIN 6 News will livestream the briefing and will follow any updates.
In a statement given earlier in the week, Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell said his department was working with the mayor’s office and other local and regional partners, including TriMet, ahead of Saturday’s events. He also stressed to protesters that authorities are developing a plan “to do everything possible to keep everyone safe.”
“Across our region we have witnessed devastation and loss of life from COVID to wildfires to gun violence. It is up to all of us to make sure we do not have an event where further loss of life results,” Lovell said. “Lawful engagement in First Amendment rights is acceptable; attendance with the intent to harm or intimidate others is not appropriate or safe for anyone.”
The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners also released a statement ahead of the weekend, calling on the community to not engage with the violence, hate and division that has been notoriously seen at previous clashes.
"These groups continue to use Portland and Multnomah County as a focal point for their combative and racist organizing. The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners has said this before, and we will say it again: Racism is not welcome here. Hate and division are not welcome here. Violence is not welcome here.
It is particularly appalling that they have chosen the historic site of Vanport, which was home to a significant portion of Portland’s Black population, as the site for this weekend’s rally. These groups also continue to demonize those who offer a multicultural perspective of history. It is not unpatriotic or un-American to have a just and equitable vision for our future. These types of divisive and provocative tactics are as old as Joseph McCarthy, George Wallace, and Richard Nixon and our community deserve better.
Reports also indicate people from around the country are likely to join. And we have a simple message to those who intend on traveling to Oregon to pick a fight: Stay home. Multnomah County has no patience for these distractions.
The far right's rhetoric and intimidation with the flashing of firearms divert attention from the real issues our community is facing: deep-seated institutional racism and sexism, over-policing, and a broken system of criminal justice. Addressing these issues requires us to confront where we fall short, so we can build a better future. That work deserves our full energy and attention, undeterred by those afraid of what it means to live up to those ideals.
The work that needs to happen has begun among community members, elected officials, and civic leaders. We may not always agree on how to best achieve our goals, but we all see the promise of what we can be, together, as a community. So we urge our community not to engage with these outside agitators. Let’s not give them the platform they seek, nor the credence to be a distraction from the work ahead of us. Let’s come together and work toward our shared mission of real transformation."
The planned events come after a summer of unrest in Portland following the death of George Floyd, whose killing in Minneapolis sparked renewed life into the Black Lives Matter movement. Hundreds have been arrested in connection with the protests, which started May 28.
However, August saw the most violence between left- and right-wing protesters after right-wing protesters clashed with left-wing protesters outside of the Multnomah County Justice Center on Aug. 22 and a shooting following a pro-Trump caravan rally on Aug. 29 left one man, Aaron J. Danielson, dead. The suspect, Michael F. Reinoehl, was shot and killed by authorities in Washington days after the downtown Portland shooting.
Protest organizers are asked to contact the Portland Police Bureau’s Liaison Team at PPBLiaison@portlandoregon.gov or through its Twitter account @PPBLiaison.
Police are also cautioning drivers about impacted roads on Saturday, including Interstate 5, which is already seeing impacts from the northbound I-5 bridge closure. TriMet may also adjust its service in the event an area becomes blocked or unsafe.
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