US: Protesters clash with security forces in Portland September 5 /update 16

Event

Protesters threw fire bombs at security forces in Portland, wounding at least one person, on Saturday night, September 5. The 100th night of protest took place on the city's Southeast Stark Street and video footage on social media shows one man running with his legs on fire after being hit by a fire bomb. Police have confirmed that hundreds of people attended Saturday night's protests and that arrests have been made.

Demonstrations are expected to continue in the coming days and weeks and an associated heightened security presence should be anticipated in the vicinity of protests.

Context

Tensions and clashes between Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters and counterprotesters have been recurrent in Portland for nearly three months.

Protests began worldwide after George Floyd died while being arrested by Minneapolis police officers on May 25. The four arresting police officers were subsequently fired and detained, and one has since been charged with second-degree murder. Protests spread to several cities across the US, with solidarity protests taking place throughout the world.

Tensions have been reignited by an incident in Kenosha (Wisconsin) on August 23, 2020, where Jacob Blake, an African American, was reportedly shot several times in the back by police officers while they were responding to an alleged domestic incident. Blake survived but was reportedly paralyzed from the waist down.

Advice

Those in Portland are advised to monitor developments, avoid all protests as a precaution, and adhere to all instructions issued by local authorities.