Cops Use 'Flash Bang' Devices to Clear Protests

Police also make arrests during clash of demonstrators in Portland
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Aug 4, 2018 2:02 PM CDT
Oregon Right-Wing Rally, Counter-Rally Is Underway
Protesters line up Saturday, Aug. 4, 2018 in Portland, Ore. Small scuffles broke out Saturday as police in Portland, Oregon, deployed "flash bang" devices and other means to disperse hundreds of right-wing and self-described anti-fascist protesters.   (AP Photo/Manuel Valdes)

Small scuffles broke out Saturday as police in Portland, Oregon, deployed "flash bang" devices and other means to disperse hundreds of right-wing and self-described anti-fascist protesters, the AP reports. Just before 2pm, police in riot gear ordered people to leave an area downtown, saying demonstrators had thrown rocks and bottles at officers. "Get out of the street," police announced via loudspeaker. There were arrests, but it wasn't immediately clear how many. There was also debris left in the streets by various protesters. A reporter for the Oregonian was injured when he was struck by a projectile during the protests, per the AP; Eder Campuzano was bloodied but says in a tweet that he's "okay" and is going to get evaluated.

Demonstrators aligned with Patriot Prayer and an affiliated group, the Proud Boys, gathered around mid-day in a riverfront park. The hundreds of opposing demonstrators faced them from across the street, holding banners and signs. Many of them yelled out chants such as "Nazis go home." Officers stood in the middle of the four-lane boulevard, essentially forming a wall to keep the two sides separated. The counter-protesters were made up of a coalition of labor unions, immigrant rights advocates, democratic socialists, and other groups. They included people dressed as clowns and a brass band blaring music. The rally organized by Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson was the third to roil Portland this summer. Two previous events ended in bloody fistfights and riots, and one counter-protester was sent to the hospital with a skull fracture. Click for more.
(More Oregon stories.)

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