PORTLAND, OR– A video of an Oregon protester has gone viral after it appears this unidentified person was seen holding a baby as what some are describing as an actual human shield.
According to Heavy, late Saturday night, Drew Hernandez, a host and reporter for the web show, “Lives Matter,” uploaded a series of Twitter posts showing video documentation of Antifa and Black Lives Matter protests in Portland.
Currently, details surrounding the protests and why this person was seemingly using a baby as a shield are unclear. Hernandez posted a video of an unidentified person holding a baby while walking between rioters and federal officers during a violent demonstration.
Wow…using actual terrorist/cartel tactics
— Anons Synonymous🇺🇸 (@AnonsSynonymous) July 12, 2020
The video has been viewed more than 40,000 times. Many viewers did not take lightly to this video and posted their own feelings about it.
And the award for worst mother of the year goes to..
— One Love (@woregon) July 12, 2020
As in most large cities spanning coast to coast, there have been protests in Portland for the past 40 nights. These protests have drawn crowds of more than 10,000 people. Marches have often culminated at the Multnomah County Justice Center.
In recent weeks, hundreds of people from across the city have continued to show up to the Justice Center nightly to protest. According to OPB, in a presentation Wednesday, Portland Police Bureau Deputy Police Chief Chris Davis attempted to draw a distinction between what he called “legitimate protest” and “criminal activity.”
Davis said:
“There’s a very big different between protests and the kind of mayhem that we’ve seen every night.”
These demonstrations have routinely ended in violence after the Portland Police respond to thrown objects with impact munitions and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
In the presentation, Davis said protesters have thrown frozen water bottles and rocks at the police, at times causing injuries. The demonstrations are affecting the city in negative ways, especially financially.
Portland terrorists attempt to use a baby as a human shield. They were trying to get the baby to cross the police tape. This looks like something ISIS would do. Arrest them all now. @realDonaldTrump @USMarshalsHQ #Portland #PortlandProtests pic.twitter.com/B9VB8PWlNt
— Kitty Shackleford (@KittyLists) July 12, 2020
In total, Davis said that more than 100 city employees and members of the public have been injured during the protests, which according to the Portland Police Bureau, have resulted in roughly $23 million in damages and lost business in the city.
Overall, Davis painted a dark picture of the protesters showing up every night to the Justice Center to protest racism, police violence, and to demand the police be defunded.
In his presentation, he portrayed the presence of umbrellas, respirators, and makeshift shields in the crowd as evidence that the protesters are highly organized. The presentation also had videos of protesters staying together in the face of police dispersal efforts.
Davis explained:
“Just watch how people are trying to regroup this group of people so they can get them back focused on that common objective. This group is not restricted from leaving this area at all. They can walk away.”
According to Heavy, this is what they know so far about the protests that took place on Saturday night when the individual was caught on camera using a baby as a human shield.
Dude, Antifa is LITERALLY trying to use babies as human shields against the feds. These people should instantly lose custody of their children for being unfit parents, this is outright disturbing and despicable behavior for a parent to bring their child to use as a human shield. https://t.co/jiU1RP8xHT
— Alyssa Vinsonhaler/Bang 🇺🇸 (@PortlandBang) July 12, 2020
Oregon Live reported that numerous events were planned for Portland on Saturday, as anti-police brutality protests continued for 44 consecutive days. The city protests began in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Nearly 100 people joined the Haymarket Pole Cooperative early Saturday to take part in the StripperStrikePDX protest, which began around 3:30 p.m. on Southeast Madison Street. The march sought to bring awareness to the lack of transparency with anti-discrimination policies and practices in the adult entertainment industry.
The Haymarket Pole Cooperative works to develop resources for implicit bias, cultural sensitivity, and sexual assault awareness training in strip clubs.
Black Lives Matter Portland organized a “Direct Action” protest, which started around the same time, 4 p.m. at the Burnside Bridge. About 20 to 30 people gathered and marched to the Multnomah County Justice Center.
In addition to these two demonstrations, to celebrate WorldWide Rollout Day, local skaters, rollerbladers, and bikers organized a rolling demonstration led by people of color that started around 5:30 p.m. at Northeast Portland’s Fernhill Park.
The demonstrators encouraged people to roller-skate, bike, use their wheelchair, or other rolling transportation in a march promoting a message of “erasing hate.”
Also, several dozen people gathered in Salem outside the Oregon State Capitol for a “We Back the Blue” demonstration, which was happening across the street from a “Black Lives Matter” demonstration.
The PNW Youth Liberation Front organized a vigil for Dominique Dunn at the location where he was shot and killed Thursday night.
Several other organized demonstrations took place in Portland at the same time, overlapping each other.
As Davis reported in his presentation, the past six weeks have been unprecedented in Portland’s history and that it simply is not sustainable.
Here’s Law Enforcement Today’s previous report on Portland riots.
Portland Oregon has reportedly suffered $23 million in damages and customer loss due to violent nightly protests.
Rioters have converged nightly into downtown Portland, looting, vandalizing, and throwing projectiles at police. Politicians have none nothing but pander to the mob, and have so far not condemned this violence, save for a string of tweets from Mayor Ted Wheeler.
These attacks undermine public safety in our community, and they harm the very people and businesses we need to be lifting up.
I am grateful that no one has died in Portland, but other cities have not been so fortunate.
— Mayor Ted Wheeler (@tedwheeler) July 3, 2020
Now, Portland Police Association (PPA) is taking action. More on that in the second half of this article.
For over a month police have responded to criminal activity in downtown Portland and in other neighborhoods that has caused millions of dollars in damage and has threatened human life and safety. pic.twitter.com/bdEHYENfqr
— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) July 8, 2020
Of the damage from the rioting, Deputy Chris Davis stated:
“There’s a very big difference between protests and the kind of mayhem that we’ve seen every night. … The Black Lives Matter movement is not violent. The story that we’re going to talk about today is about a small group of agitators that is attempting to hijack that message and use it as a cover for criminal activity.”
The protests are now in their sixth week. Protesters and some politicians were not happy with the use of tear gas used by police, but with the fairly large group of rioters growing in numbers, it’s unclear how they expect officers to control the group.
PPA President Daryl Turner discussed Wednesday at a press conference on FOX12 the need for peace for all residents of Portland, as well city safety as protests continue nightly.
Turner said:
“For forty days, thousands of people have poured out onto the streets calling out for change. For over 40 days a small number of people have hijacked those calls for social justice and use the cover for peaceful protest to burn and loot our city. It’s enough.
“Over half a million people call this city home. All of Portland deserves safety, security and a nonviolent platform to speak their minds.”
He also expressed his lack of confidence with the City Council:
“I have no confidence that city council will stand up for all of Portland.
“I have no confidence that the city will stop the rioting, the looting and protect the safety and livelihood of Portlanders.
“I have no confidence that the City Council will guide the PPB forward to a new era of policing that prioritizes community safety, equity, reform, and police funding.
“I have no confidence that City Council respects and supports its rank-and-file officers who work tirelessly to better our community.
“I have no confidence that City Council wants to be part of the solution that closes the divide between police and our communities.”
PPA Prez Daryl Turner didn’t get a response from City Council after publishing a statement asking them to “defend Portland,” so he penned another one: pic.twitter.com/IQX7T3cg3n
— Alex Zielinski (@alex_zee) July 8, 2020
According to KGW8 on June 17th, The Portland City Council has passed the 2020-21 budget 3-1 with plans to cut $15 million from the police bureau, taking away 84 positions. Current requests for defunding the department was at $50 million according to Unite Oregon.
City council Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty tweeted in a series of tweets yesterday:
“While the PPA came out this morning with a vote of no-confidence in City Council, I remain undeterred and continue to work on the change demanded by the public.”
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