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Portland police have arrested two 18-year-old men for shooting and injuring an anti-Trump protester on the Morrison Bridge early this morning.
Shamar Xavier Hunter and Steffon Marquise Corothers have been booked into Multnomah County Jail on charges of attempted murder and unlawful use of a weapon. They're accused of stepping out of a car and firing at least seven shots.
The shooting provided a violent end to the fourth night of marches in this city against the presidency of Donald J. Trump.
Mayor Charlie Hales and Police Chief Mike Marshman held a press conference this afternoon, with the mayor urging protesters to stay home.
"It's a legitimate first step," Hales said of protests. "It's now time to take the second step, and the hundreds of steps that will be required over the next four years."
Marshman sounded less sympathetic to the marches, which he described as overrun by anarchist groups.
"I don't think they're out there to protest. I think they're out there to battle the police," Marshman said. "We're taking rocks and bottles and flares."
As WW reported last night, police blocked an anti-Trump march in downtown nearly as soon as it began, using a loudspeaker to tell protesters to stay at City Hall instead of marching. A six-hour standoff ensued, with police deploying tear gas and protesters throwing bottles. (Other observers have accused police of using a Long Range Acoustic Device at high volumes to disperse the crowd.)
Video by Joe Riedl.
The group leading the protests, Portland's Resistance, decided not to organize an event tonight. Instead, it has scheduled a vigil for Sunday at 4 pm in Tom McCall Waterfront Park.
"On this night off from demonstration, we would like to encourage self and communal care," organizers write. "This is a long term battle. We need to remember to take care of ourselves, our neighbors, and our communities. Rest, recover and rejuvenate."
Yet at least some protesters say they plan to gather downtown again tonight.
Willamette Week