Portland protesters attacked the ICE building just hours after the start of Joe Biden’s presidency.
- Nearly 200 protesters attacked the ICE building on Inauguration Day.
- The demonstrators hurled rocks and eggs at the building, while federal police used flashbangs to halt the unrest.
- Protests occurred in other locations, including Denver, Seattle, and Sacramento.
Federal police in Portland, Oregon was forced to deploy teat gas at a crowd of 200 rioters who hurled rocks and eggs at the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement building, Daily Mail reports. The raid occurred on the night of Joe Biden’s first day as the official President of the United States.
As per KGW-TW, during the attack, Federal Protective Services officers warned the protesters not to trespass on federal property. However, the authorities eventually had to block off the streets leading to the ICE building.
Footage from the scene shows feds trying to suppress the unrest using stun grenades.
Flash bangs and what appears to be tear gas or smoke lobbed towards the group pic.twitter.com/sg0AFs4B3p
— Devon Haskins (@devonhaskins) January 21, 2021
The “Abolish ICE” protest was initiated by demonstrators raging against the agency for vigorously enforcing immigration laws. It came as President Joe Biden signed a 100-day halt on deportations, as well as a standstill to the construction of a border wall between the US and Mexico.
According to police records, before the ICE unrest, there were anti-Biden protesters marching in Portland streets. The group carried anti-police signs and later damaged the headquarters of the Democratic Party of Oregon.
Protesters were displaying signs, saying: “We don’t want Biden, we want revenge!”
The signs the rioters were marching with were in response to police brutality.
Following the demonstrations, windows were smashed and walls of the political party building were covered in anarchist symbols. The group of protesters reached nearly 200 people.
Credits: AP
Meanwhile, as Oregon Live reported, there was an “Inaugurate Justice” caravan in Portland celebrating the new presidential power. A speaker from the crowd of about 150 chanted:
“This is such a monumental day! Because today is the day we dump Trump. But we need to embrace resistance too. The fight is just beginning”
Portland has been a scene of countless violence-involving protests since the murder of George Floyd.
The city was a place of demonstrations for over 100 straight days over the 2020 summer.
Furthermore, on Wednesday, protesters gathered near the Colorado State Capitol in Denver to express their strong disapproval of the new president. Racial injustice and police violence were amongst the main problems the crowd protested. In the meantime, as per KMGH-TV, communist and anti-fascist demonstrators set fire to an American flag. At least two people were arrested on weapons charges.
Black Lives Matter supporters also took part in a peaceful “Inauguration March”.
Antifa disrupters also set fire to American flags on the streets in Seattle. According to KIRO-TV, several people were arrested for assault and property damage.
An “Abolish ICE” protest was also initiated in Sacramento, California. The Antifa members yelled things like: “No prisons, no walls – no USA at all!” and “All cops are bastards.” According to Sacramento police, they even managed to topple over the fencing at the County District Attorney’s Office.