We previously reported on how Antifa attacked the federal courthouse in Portland, both during the day and then going back later in the evening, setting it on fire, smashing the windows, throwing things at officers and covering it with graffiti again, including a message saying, “We will destroy you.”
One of the main reasons that the Antifa rioters went after the federal courthouse on Thursday was because the protective fencing had just been taken down by the Federal Protective Service that morning after pressure from the local authorities to return to “normal.” How’d that work out? Obviously not a smart move after almost daily attacks for months. Meanwhile, there’s still fencing up at the Capitol in D.C. for a three-hour riot in January. Plus National Guard that’s cost us more than $500 million.
Needless to say, the fencing is going back up. It has been taken over by the DOJ according to Oregon Live.
But the police were ready for the rioters on Friday night and pulled an unexpected trick on them.
When they were marching for their nightly action, some of the people in the march began breaking windows. They were actually breaking windows of residential buildings including this apartment building.
Windows smashed at the Oro apartment building in Portland #Portland #PortlandRiots #PortlandProtests pic.twitter.com/ECXxbWLFsI
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) March 13, 2021
They were also blocking the street with items they dragged into the middle of the street to impede the cops.
Portland Police follow the group closely on bikes tonight, as various objects are moved into the street #Portland #PortlandProtests pic.twitter.com/mRz2CAxZZQ
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) March 13, 2021
The police warned them that they would be arrested if they blocked the street and they should leave if they didn’t want that.
They ignored that warning, of course, but they failed to anticipate what came next. When they went down one street, the police were setting up a perimeter and then kettled them all in, trapping them on the street so they couldn’t get away. The police announced that they were all being detained for the investigation of a crime, presumably the breaking of the windows, but given months of crimes, it could be for other things, as well.
After dozens of #antifa smashed out windows in a residential area of downtown Portland, police kettled an entire street of them, the first time in years that effective tactic has been used. #PortlandRiots pic.twitter.com/m57WHIq1NG
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) March 13, 2021
Portland Police created a perimeter around #antifa extremists who began rioting in a residential area. "Legal observers" and press are given the opportunity to leave. #PortlandRiots pic.twitter.com/MueiXk6rXi
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) March 13, 2021
They let them out one at a time, after taking all their pictures and getting their date of birth for future reference, thus puncturing their black bloc disguises. Some chanted “let them go,” others chanted “lock them up,” showing that there are finally some folks in the deeply blue city that are just tired of all this nonsense.
The Antifa folks were absolutely livid that the police dared to kettle them and take their pictures but that’s obviously going to be extremely helpful for not just for this investigation but for a file on participants in such actions. But expect legal actions on that, given all the leftist tears being spent on this.
Portland Police kettled a large group of #antifa rioters after they began smashing property in a residential area of downtown. Antifa are extremely angry. #PortlandRiots https://t.co/20R2L4bPZf
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) March 13, 2021
#Antifa accounts on social media called for their comrades to swarm police as the black bloc was being detained. Some rioters showed up to confront police but failed to break their hold. #PortlandRiots Video by @realblairnelson: pic.twitter.com/6bRKVi0wBA
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) March 13, 2021
It sounds like Mayor Ted Wheeler, whose also the police commissioner, has had enough. After previously being supportive of defunding the police, Wheeler, when faced with the continuing riots and damage, as well as the rest of the rising crime, is calling for money for police. Wheeler is asking for $2 million for a new uniformed team of 14 people to deal with street crime to help deal with the rising homicide question. But unless they do something about prosecuting more of these folks, more money for the police isn’t going to help ultimately stop this.
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