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Fires set, fences moved: Police call Portland protest a riot

Posted at 3:52 AM, Jul 19, 2020
and last updated 2020-07-19 03:52:44-04

PORTLAND, Ore. — Police say protesters broke into a building, set it on fire and started dumpster fires late Saturday in Oregon's largest city.

Portland police declared the protest a riot and were working to clear the downtown area.

Tear gas had been deployed.

The fire at the Portland Police Association building was put out a short time later.

Demonstrations against systemic racism and police brutality have happened daily in Portland since Minneapolis police killed George Floyd on May 25.

President Donald Trump has decried the disorder, and Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf blasted the protesters as “lawless anarchists.”