© REUTERS/Jim Urquhart
Portland was subjected to more protests overnight, as activists and agitators, including one man in a wheelchair, faced off against police. Elsewhere in the city, a church caught fire, prompting speculation as to the culprits.
There were at least 30 arrests in Portland over the weekend - for violent conduct, assaults on police officers, and rioting - despite mainstream media reports continuing to describe the rallies as "fairly calm" and "largely peaceful."
On Sunday night, a protester in a wheelchair was filmed arguing with police, who responded with force and pushed the man back to the sidewalk. The encounter prompted outrage in some online quarters and mockery in others.
The man has been identified as Dustin Brandon and was arrested earlier in September for allegedly ramming riot police with his chair.
Meanwhile, there were scuffles between riot police and protesters throughout Sunday night, but it doesn't appear there was anywhere near the level of violence that has been witnessed on an almost nightly basis in the city since George Floyd's death in Minneapolis police custody in May.
However, a three-story former church caught fire downtown. The Portland Korean Church building was sold in 2015 and has remained largely unoccupied since.
Portland Fire & Rescue said the cause of the blaze had yet to be determined, but that it affected all three stories of the building. No one was inside at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported.
Commentators online were quick to speculate as to the perpetrators, however, rather than waiting for the facts of the fire to come to light, with many blaming Antifa, citing alleged Bible burnings at protests in Portland over the summer as a precedent.
Comment: Meanwhile, Seattle's cohort of Antifa thugs threaten the return of
CHAZ:
Protesters ignited barricades on Capitol Hill, reminiscent of the woebegone days of the 'Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone' or 'CHAZ' (later renamed 'CHOP'), which lasted for three weeks before widespread violence forced the authorities to intervene and dismantle it on July 1.
The self-declared 'autonomous zone' sprang up following nationwide protests over the killing of Minneapolis, Minnesota resident George Floyd, who died while in police custody. Demonstrators sealed off several streets near the police's East Precinct after law enforcement abandoned the building. Although initially praised for its festive mood, the area quickly descended into anarchy, with crime and violence becoming especially bad at night.
As police moved in to raze its lookalike, they were pelted with projectiles.
"Crowd has also begun throwing bottles and rocks at officers," SPD tweeted shortly after it ordered the protesters to disperse.
Police eventually succeeded in scattering the crowds and putting out the fires, saying that the arrests were made in connection with "assaults and property damage."
The
Proud Boys showed up to add to the chaos in Portland:
A Proud Boys protest in Portland resulted in brawls with counter-demonstrators and media. Police made three arrests and later confiscated weapons from the right-wing group.
An estimated 1,000 people attended Saturday's rally in a north Portland park. Footage from RT's Ruptly video agency shows demonstrators reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, praying, and listening to speeches given from an American flag-draped stage. Some of the protesters, clad in body armor and tactical helmets, were filmed marching as they chanted "F**k Antifa!"
The right-wing group also engaged in shouting matches with counter-demonstrators and media, with some of the verbal exchanges ending in physical violence.
Footage shows a man being shoved to the ground and kicked in the face. In another incident, someone who was filming the event was assaulted by a Proud Boys member.
As the rally ended, Portland Police stopped one vehicle and confiscated shields, baseball bats, paintball guns, and other weapons. In total, police made three arrests during the rally and counter-protest. Law enforcement said they were investigating a case of assault.
And in El Cahon, California, a cathedral was
vandalized, the latest in several attacks across the country:
St. Peter's Chaldean Catholic Cathedral in El Cajon, California said in a statement on Facebook that it had fallen victim to a graffiti attack. Video footage posted by the cathedral showed numerous symbols and slogans spray-painted on the building.
In a magnanimous message, the church urged its congregation to pray for the perpetrators of the defilement as well as for Christians in Iraq. "This morning our beloved Cathedral was defaced with pentagrams, upside down crosses, white power, swastikas, BLM, etc. It reminds us to pray for my brethren in Iraq that are facing persecution. Pray for the criminals who did this," it said.
The incident is the latest in a string of attacks at Catholic churches in the United States in recent months. Earlier this week, a church in Florida fell victim to an arson attack, while in Texas, a man armed with a baseball bat damaged icons at a seminary.
R.C.