© ReutersViolence at Starbucks, Portland, Oregon
According to police, a group of some 100 protesters smashed up windows at the Portland State University, breaking windows to the Public Safety Office reception area before attacking several other buildings on campus and finally turning their attention to a Starbucks on the ground floor of an apartment building.
Officers from the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office, Portland Police Bureau, and Oregon State Police declared a riot and cleared the area, interrupting what they described as a "possible arson attempt."
Responding officers discovered flammable liquid spread throughout the cafe, which was graffitied with 'BLM' and 'ACAB,' and made at least two arrests. During their operations, they seized a tire iron, dumbbell, body armor, gas masks, and umbrella.
The violence comes on the eve of the US presidential election, as businesses have been boarding up their windows across the country in recent days in anticipation of widespread post-election street violence, regardless of the outcome.
On Monday, Governor Kate Brown issued an executive order granting state authorities jurisdiction in Portland, effectively overruling a recent ban on the use of tear gas, while also putting National Guard forces on standby.
Meanwhile, federal officers have been issued a court order to operate only within a one-block radius of the Federal Courthouse in Portland.
Comment: As Portland prepares to handle violence and destruction, especially on the eve of the election, federal officers find themselves restrained to specific locations and parameters. The situation does not bode well and this is just the beginning: