Federal officers forced a group of protesters away from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in the South Waterfront late Saturday after people in the crowd set fires that ignited the building’s temporary plywood barricades.
Video posted online showed officers in crowd-control gear emerging from the compound to scatter protesters and pull burning debris away from the building. The fire was extinguished quickly and didn’t appear to spread.
The agents appeared to use crowd control munitions and physically push protesters back in the video clips posted to social media.
Portland Fire & Rescue crews also responded just before midnight to extinguish small bonfires that remained outside of the building, a spokesperson said.
Mostly small groups of protesters have for months routinely gathered outside the building in vigils and protests calling for the agency’s disbandment. The building, covered with graffiti, is one of several federal buildings to have been damaged and needed repairs during the past year’s unrest.
-- The Oregonian/OregonLive