US: Police arrest several protesters following clashes in Portland August 23 /update 12

Event

Police have stated that 23 protesters have been arrested on charges such as riot, assault, and disorderly conduct overnight on Sunday, August 23, during clashes between demonstrators and security forces. The protest was declared a riot after around 200 demonstrators reportedly lit fires and attacked police officers using mortars, bottles, rocks, and lasers. Sunday has been the second consecutive night that protests in the city were declared riots. While the use of tear gas by police officers has not been reported on Saturday, security forces used tear gas on Sunday, among other crowd-control munitions.

Further associated demonstrations are possible in the area in the near term. A heightened security presence and localized disruptions are possible in the vicinity of all demonstrations.

Context

Protests began worldwide after US citizen 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 have since spread to several cities across the US, with solidarity protests taking place throughout the world.

Advice

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