Mayor says ‘worst case scenario’ avoided after far-right, far-left protests; 13 arrested, 6 hurt
Portland mayor praises police after ‘largely peaceful’ day of far-right, far-left demonstrations
By Vandana Rambaran | Fox News
The mayor of Portland, Ore., said Saturday night that his city had avoided the “worst-case scenario” after members of far-right groups and far-left members of Antifa held dueling demonstrations in the center of the city that lasted for hours on end.
“Given the continuing movement and the number of people involved, I am grateful that this was a largely peaceful event,” Mayor Ted Wheeler told reporters. “Police did an exemplary job of de-escalating the situation, keeping the extremists on both sides separate for the most part, and of limiting interactions between individuals.”
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At least 13 people were arrested. Police Chief Danielle Outlaw said at a press conference that possible charges against those arrested include disorderly conduct, interfering with police, resisting arrest, possession of a weapon in a park and unlawful use of a weapon.
Earlier in the day, police tweeted images of weapons it had seized from multiple groups, including bear spray, shields and metal and wooden poles.
“At this time, we know of six force-events involving officers,” Outlaw said. “There was one instance where an officer deployed pepper balls. The other instances involved take-downs or control against resistance.”
Six people suffered minor injuries and one of them was taken to a local hospital. Another individual was treated for a medical condition unrelated to the demonstrations, police spokeswoman Lt. Tina Jones said.