6 People Arrested During J20 Protests In Downtown Portland

By Laurie Isola (OPB), Amelia Templeton (OPB), Kristian Foden-Vencil (OPB) and Rob Manning (OPB)
Portland, Oregon Jan. 20, 2017 2:15 p.m.

Tear-gas deployed near Pioneer Courthouse Square

Protesters shut down the 6th Avenue transit mall, leaving many commuters stuck on the MAX trains during Inauguration Day demonstrations in Portland on Jan. 20, 2017.

A protester walks by a line of police officers.

Crowds inside Pioneer Court House swell in anticipation to the 5:00 p.m. march.

A security guard stands by Mario's clothing store in downtown Portland as demonstrators march by on Jan. 20, 2017.

Demonstrators from both political aisles peacefully protest inside Pioneer Courthouse Square.

A demonstrator waiting in a gasmask.

Police inside the fog of tear-gas.

Protesters burned dozens of tiny American flags in downtown Portland on Jan. 20, 2017.

Police use crowd-control devices near Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland on Jan. 20, 2017.

Demonstrators get ready to march through downtown.

Police stand in a line under heavy rain.

Police use crowd control devices near Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland on Jan. 20, 2017.

Pro-Trump demonstrators inside Pioneer Courthouse Square

Protesters in downtown Portland were told to move or risk arrest during a large demonstration on Inauguration Day.

A stalemate occurs between the Portland police and protesters near the Burnside Bridge on Jan. 20, 2017.

Protesters use shields made out of garbage can lids as they demonstrated in downtown Portland on Jan. 20, 2017.

Protesters stand behind a large banner at the west end of the Burnside Bridge on Jan. 20, 2017.

A young protester was stopped by others in downtown Portland as he attempted to grab a ladder from a nearby construction site on Jan. 20, 2017.

Some demonstrators were hit by pepper spray dispensed by Portland police during the Jan. 20, 2017, march through downtown Portland.

Some demonstrators were hit by pepper spray dispensed by Portland police during the Jan. 20, 2017, march through downtown Portland.

Portland police watch the crowd of demonstrators as they march through the city's downtown on Jan. 20, 2017.

Protesters shut down the 6th Avenue transit mall, leaving many commuters stuck on the MAX trains during Inauguration Day demonstrations in Portland on Jan. 20, 2017.

The men operating this paper mache skull in Portland on Jan. 20, 2017, say it represents, "Death to fascism."

A band brings up the rear of the protesters marching through downtown Portland on Jan. 20, 2017.

A band brings up the rear of the protesters marching through downtown Portland on Jan. 20, 2017.

A crowd of demonstrators gathered at Pioneer Courthouse Square on Jan. 20, 2017, and began marching through downtown Portland in protest of the inauguration of President Donald Trump.

Portland police line the streets of the city's downtown on Jan. 20, 2017, in response to hundreds of demonstrators marching through the streets in protest of the inauguration of President Donald Trump.

Portland police line the streets of the city's downtown on Jan. 20, 2017, in response to hundreds of demonstrators marching through the streets in protest of the inauguration of President Donald Trump.

A protester stands in the smoke after police deployed tear-gas.

A growing crowd of protesters gathers at Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland on Jan. 20, 2017, as some participants set American flags on fire.

A growing crowd of protesters gathers at Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland on Jan. 20, 2017, as some participants set American flags on fire.

A demonstrator takes a photo of the police.

Protesters write emergency numbers on their arms for use in case of arrest in downtown Portland on Jan. 20, 2017.

A crowd of demonstrators gathered at Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland on Jan. 20, 2017, in protest of the inauguration of President Donald Trump.

A growing crowd of protesters gathers at Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland on Jan. 20, 2017, as some participants set American flags on fire.

Pete Conklin, a 53-year-old dad and first-time protester, joins the Inauguration Day gathering at Pioneer Square in downtown Portland on Jan. 20, 2017.

This man, who voted for Trump, says he is holding a cross to ask people for peace and dialogue. He sees the Jan. 20, 2017, protests in Portland as divisive.

A crowd of demonstrators gather at Pioneer Courthouse Square on Jan. 20, 2017, in protest of the inauguration of President Donald Trump.

A growing crowd of protesters gathers at Pioneer Courthouse Square, Jan. 20, 2017, as some participants set America flags on fire.

Workers in downtown Portland began boarding up businesses, Jan. 20, 2017, in anticipation of Inauguration Day protests.

Demonstrators join the Inauguration Day protests in downtown Portland, Jan. 20, 2017.

A growing crowd of protesters gathers at Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland on Jan. 20, 2017, as some participants set American flags on fire.

Protester Karen Cole says she believes a Trump presidency will give corporate interests unprecedented access to the highest levels of government, Jan. 20, 2017.

Downtown Portland businesses ready their storefronts for the expected large-scale protests, Jan. 20, 2017.

After an evening of protests Friday, Portland police used crowd-control devices to disperse lingering demonstrators near Pioneer Courthouse Square and six people were arrested.

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The use of flash-bangs and tear gas came after police told protesters that the march, which began at 5 p.m., was unlawful. Police also warned the group that those who did not leave the area would be arrested.

By the end of the night, five people were charged with second-degree disorderly conduct:

  • 21-year-old Nicholas Martin Johnson
  • 30-year-old Rosemary Vera Tustin
  • 45-year-old Craig Allen Hasty
  • 18-year-old Travis Allen Martin
  • 41-year-old Matthew Ray McGaugh

Before the march began, police also arrested Billy Ellison, 18, who was wanted in connection with violent activity at a November protest of Donald Trump. He was carrying a knife, a blowtorch and a gas mask at the time of his arrest Friday, according to police.

Police deployed pepper spray during the night against some demonstrators who attempted to move across police lines and cross the Burnside Bridge. The pepper spray broke up the crowd, but some protesters continued on to Waterfront Park before police began directing the group back to where the march started, the square.

The protest disrupted MAX train traffic in downtown for a good portion of the evening, though service had resumed, with some delays, by 7:30 p.m. TriMet had said it would only alter its service if the area became "unsafe." [video: confrontation-during-protest,left,58830408b5c0a501c6b06e94]

Several demonstrations coalesced Friday night in downtown and resulted in thousands of people on the street. Many of the demonstrators focused on opposing the policies of President Donald Trump, who took the oath of office earlier in the day.

In the late afternoon, before the march started, a crowd began to gather in Pioneer Courthouse Square.

Demonstrators from both political aisles peacefully protest inside Pioneer Courthouse Square.

Kristian Foden-Vencil / OPB

Some protesters waved signs that said “Dump Trump” and “Healthcare Is A Human Right.” A small group of counterprotesters carried signs with religious messages.

Steven Dickensheets, a Trump supporter, stood by quietly with a cross. He said he believed the protests caused division.

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“If they are trying to change something,” Dickensheets said of the protesters, “change comes with gathering of all people and trying to unite people, not trying to divide people and make protest over something that I think is moot at this point."

Portland demonstrator Karen Cole said protesting is her constitutional right.

“I’m probably actually going to be one of the few people here who will say, ‘Yes, this is our president,” Cole said. “This is what our system has given us. That doesn’t mean I have to like it. And it doesn’t mean I have to sit down and be quiet.”

The protest began with a group of demonstrators setting fire to American flags. Although a scuffle broke out as some protesters tried to stop the burning, the gathering in the square remained peaceful, with police maintaining a fairly low profile.

Downtown Portland businesses ready their storefronts for the expected large-scale protests, Jan. 20, 2017.

Rob Manning / OPB

Several businesses downtown, including Nike, Banana Republic and Nordstrom, had boarded up windows in anticipation of the protest.

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler announced earlier in the week that police would intervene in demonstrations if necessary.

“We have an opportunity this week to show the rest of the nation that we are a community that is very active and very engaged but we’re also peaceful,” Wheeler said at a press conference Wednesday.

Other Northwest cities, including Seattle and Olympia, protested Trump's inauguration Friday as well, according to the Associated Press.

During the protest in Seattle, one person was shot near the University of Washington campus.

This article will be updated as new information becomes available.


UPDATES

This article was first published at 2:30 p.m. PST.
Updated at 3:05 p.m. PST with information about flag burning.
Updated at 3:42 p.m. PST with information from city agencies and officials.
Updated at 4:19 p.m. PST with information about the size of the crowd and MAX trains.
Updated at 4:55 p.m. PST with protester quotes.
Updated at 5:10 p.m. PST to note the march's start.
Updated at 6:15 p.m. PST with information regarding the police use of pepper spray.
Updated at 6:40 p.m. PST with information about Waterfront Park.
Updated at 7:18 p.m. PST with arrest and crowd control information.
Updated at 7:35 p.m. PST with TriMet service update.
Updated at 8:13 p.m. PST with the police use of crowd control devices.

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