US: Hundreds protest police killing of black man in Vancouver (Washington) October 30

Event

Hundreds of people have gathered in the town of Vancouver (Washington state) north of Portland on Friday, October 30, following the police killing of Kevin E. Peterson, a black man, on Thursday. Protesters have gathered near the US Bank parking lot, where Peterson died. A small counter-protest in support of US President Donald Trump and law enforcement is reportedly taking place nearby.

The incident comes amid months of continued Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests in nearby Portland, as well as counter-protests by right-wing groups such as Patriot Prayer.

A heightened security presence is likely in the vicinity of the protest. A disruption to transportation is to be expected while the protest is ongoing. Further protests over Peterson's death in Vancouver and throughout Washington state cannot be ruled out.

Advice

Those near Vancouver are advised to allow extra time for travel due to the demonstrations and potential delays. Travelers are advised to monitor local media in order to stay up to date with developments relating to the demonstrations and any associated disruption. Travelers are advised to avoid all demonstrations in order to minimize the risk of exposure to potential incidental violence, opportunistic crime, and crowd control measures by the police.