After reports of vandalism and attacks on drivers, the Portland Police declared an anti-Donald Trump protest on Thursday night a riot.
The rally began at Pioneer Courthouse Square.
Early in the evening, protesters blocked traffic with a die-in:
According to the Associated Press, parts of two major interstates were closed due to the protests. As the evening went on, there were reports of fights and vandalism.
Some protesters were also attacked by bystanders.
At 8:18 p.m. local time, police tweeted about protesters having bats and "illegal fire devices."
At around 8:30, they declared the protest a riot, and said the crowd had shifted to "throwing projectiles at police."
A leader of the evening's march, activist Gregory McKelvey of the organization Don't Shoot Portland, claimed that the gathering of people that turned violent was "not our protest."
Others were backing up McKelvey's claim of a division between the initial protesters and the people involved in property destruction:
The police attempted to find the split between protesters and what they called "anarchists" by ordering people back to Pioneer Square. They did not provide any evidence for labeling the people involved in what they called "illegal acts" as anarchists.
