The Bottom Line:
The violent situation in Portland for the past 56 straight days continues with violent anarchists rioting on the streets as federal law enforcement officers work diligently and honorably to enforce federal law; they do so by defending federal property and the lives of their fellow officers.
In response to nightly attempts to raze and damage the Hatfield Federal Courthouse, DHS made the decision earlier this week to put up a stronger fence around the building’s perimeter. While more secure fencing has kept much of the criminal violence away from the courthouse building, it has now become a consistent target of the rioters, who try to tear it down and breach it using ropes, saws, and power tools. Rioters have also tried to set the fence on fire. As federal officers left the building to respond to attacks on the fence, night after night they have been met by rioters with hard projectiles, mortar style fireworks and lasers that can cause permanent blindness.
The Past 24 Hours:
Demonstrators started to gather around 8 p.m. local time on July 24th and reached around 1,000 by 9 p.m. By 10 p.m. crowd size was estimated to be somewhere around 3,000 to 4,000 people.
At around 10:15 local time a rioter was arrested for trespassing after climbing over the fence protecting the Hatfield Federal Courthouse perimeter.
At around 10:45 p.m. local time rioters began to aggressively rock the fence back and forth in an effort to topple it. At 10:58 p.m. the first mortar-style firework of the evening was fired at the courthouse. The rioters continued to attack on the fence, forcing federal officers to issue multiple warnings to cease. Rioters responded to the warnings by throwing a flare into the fence’s perimeter. Rioters then started to use saws to take down the fence, while others disabled several security cameras by shooting them with paintball guns.
At 11:18 p.m. local time federal officers were forced to leave the courthouse building in response to rioters’ attacks on the property. As they did, they were once again attacked with lasers, as has been the case previous nights. Around this time, rioters began to attack the fence with power tools. Around this time, reports indicated that other groups of rioters were starting fires in the vicinity of the courthouse.
At 11:32 p.m. local time rioters began to drive a car toward the fence protecting the courthouse as large mortar fireworks were fired at the building. In response, federal officers were forced to leave the building in order to repel the rioters. While officers stood at the fence, rioters attempted to set it on fire.
At 11:49 p.m. local time the first Molotov cocktails of the evening were thrown at the courthouse. Minutes later, rioters continued their efforts to saw through the fence, this time at the courthouse’s loading dock.
At 12:15 a.m. local time, July 25th, federal officers began to sustain multiple injuries, one requiring medical attention after taking a direct hit from a commercial grade firework. At 12:33 a.m. another federal officer was hit with a mortar firework. Around this time, officers were also assaulted with objects filled with unknown liquids being hurled over the fence.
As of 12:45 a.m. local time the crowd size was approximately 2,000 individuals. At 12:50 federal officers declared an unlawful assembly and warned the crowd to cease the violence and disperse. Rioters responded with more laser attacks, renewed efforts to set the fence on fire, and assaulting officers with projectiles. Minutes later, one officer was struck with a frozen water bottle.
At 1:31 a.m. local time rioters attached rope to the fence and attempted to pull down the fences, as they have tried every night since it was erected.
At 2:15 a.m. local time rioters fed a fire previously lit in the courthouse vicinity with wood and accelerants.
Shortly thereafter, following 3 hours of sustained assault by violent anarchists, federal officers were forced to go outside of the fence perimeter to repel the crowd. During this effort, a federal officer was struck in the head with a mortar firework.
At 2:40 a.m. local time the Portland Police declared an unlawful assembly.
At 2:58 a.m. local time reports indicate that rioters had set traps to puncture tires at the vehicle egresses at the Edith Green Federal Building.
There were at least 6 injuries to federal officers reported through the course of the night’s violence. There were no reports of injuries to rioters or protestors.
DHS officers conducted 1 arrest during the night’s violence.