Protests in downtown Portland and in the city’s Argay Terrrace Neighborhood escalated into violence Sunday, the Portland Police Bureau announced in a statement.
The demonstrators were affiliated with right-wing groups, including the Proud Boys, and they clashed with counterprotesters, according to KOIN.
The protest began in the downtown area at about 12:30 p.m. and grew to several hundred people in size by 2:30 p.m.
The protesters demonstrated “aggressive behavior toward others in the area,” police said.
One man could be seen firing a handgun, according to video captured by Zane Sparling of the Portland Tribune.
KOIN in Portland confirmed with police that a man was arrested for a downtown shooting.
Police believe Dennis Anderson, 65, was the shooter, and he was charged with unlawful use and possession of a firearm, according to Oregon Live.
In the Argay Terrace Neighborhood, crowds began to gather at about 1:30 p.m., and by 4 p.m., a “small number of people” began committing “acts of violence and destruction,” police said.
Behavior included setting off fireworks and “dispersing chemical spray, as well as firing what appeared to be paintball and/or airsoft guns” and committing property destruction, police said.
Video footage from Portland also shows damage to vehicles, including a van that was flipped over.
Police said they’re investigating the incidents and more arrests could follow if evidence supports potential criminal charges.
“While it’s disappointing that some people chose to engage violently, I am grateful for those who exercised their rights peacefully and without committing crimes,” Police Chief Chuck Lovell said in the statement. “I also thank the Portland Police personnel who came in to work today on their day off, and those who were responding to calls for service citywide.”
