PORTLAND, OR – Once again, after riots transpired in Portland on the evening of August 15, media outlets like Newsweek attempted to paint a narrative that police in the city attacked protesters just demonstrating.
Well, this was of course after police declared that a riot was taking place, and that the crowd was ordered to disperse. Instead, they decided to form some kind of a shield line after reports of vandalism and other crimes.
Yet, that didn’t stop Newsweek’s version of “reporting” on the riot, with the opening line of their report being:
“Portland Police officers were seen charging into a line of protesters carrying shields and swinging their batons as demonstrations against police brutality in the city continued for the 80th night.”
The news outlet decided to accompany this angled version of the riot with the following video – which is completely divorced from the context of what transpired earlier.
Police clear disperse the shield line, making an arrest, protestor tells officer “fuck you fascist” officer taunts by saying “come here” pic.twitter.com/oHOSGxj9Tl
— Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) August 16, 2020
Newsweek must fancy themselves as dreidel’s, because they sure did a lot of spinning on the reporting of the riot.
The reality of the situation, was that a riot was declared by police via loudspeaker prior to any sort of crowd interaction.
Portland Police also sent out an advisory on Twitter, announcing that rioters cease engaging in property destruction:
“Portland Police are making loudspeaker announcements to individuals throwing rocks on the east side of the building at N.E. 47/Burnside. Anyone who does may be subject to arrest or use of force to include crowd control munitions.”
Portland Police are directing people in this riot to move away to the west or be subject to arrest, use of force to include crowd control munitions pepper spray or tear gas
— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) August 16, 2020
“Portland Police are directing people in this riot to move away to the west or be subject to arrest, use of force to include crowd control munitions pepper spray or tear gas.”
Furthermore, there’s hardly anything peaceful about rioters forming a shield line in what appears to be preparation for a skirmish.
So, let’s see what happened before the riot was declared, and Newsweek wanted to paint the “protesters” as nothing more than choir boys getting attacked by police.
In this footage, we have the real peaceful demonstrators known as American Wolf who are standing while rioters berate them and surround them. Shortly thereafter, when a limousine bearing the word “Wolf” on the rear window is present – you see the vehicle attacked by someone with a glass bottle.
A limo with “Wolf” on the backwinfow leaves, protestor throws bottle at it pic.twitter.com/hhof6knPYE
— Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) August 16, 2020
So far, that looks like activities that would rise to riotous designations.
And prior to the riot being declared, you have people encroaching the property of the police building known as the Penumbra Kelly building.
A protestor spray paints the building pic.twitter.com/kiSE4DOw9k
— Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) August 16, 2020
With little surprise, shortly after people unlawfully crossed onto the property they were told to abstain from, you have a rioter spray painting an anarchy symbol on the building.
Of course, that “shield line” enabled by the rioters was formed on police property, as showcased in the below videos, prior to police dispersing the crowd.
Protestors are awaiting police response pic.twitter.com/wbX5spJOAs
— Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) August 16, 2020
As you can clearly see – the rioters were beckoning a response from police…while on the police department’s property…that they were told to leave from.
From there, after these miscreants formed their shield line, stayed on police property when told to leave, and were said to have engaged in throwing rocks and bottles at police officers – they were given one last warning before a riot was declared.
Police warn that they will declare a riot pic.twitter.com/kdmCVizHgT
— Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) August 16, 2020
Well, the PPB was done with warnings and officially declared a riot.
Take one guess at who didn’t leave – the rioters.
Protestors in umbrellas and shields aren’t leaving, riot declared pic.twitter.com/ivc3vIOYzc
— Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) August 16, 2020
Police had clearly called over the loudspeaker that the affair was now officially a riot, and even instructed those present to exit the area.
That is what led to police engaging the crowd – which the rioters were warned time and again that tear gas would be deployed (it was), and that force may be used in concurrence of dispersing methods.
Police use tear gas on protestors to being dispersal pic.twitter.com/XEs2fqoPKV
— Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) August 16, 2020
It’s the kind of selective reporting by entities like Newsweek on these riots that continues to hide what is really happening. Police have been responding to the riots and actions of these malefactors, yet media outlets just love to paint police as the bad guys.
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