Abortion Rights Protest in Portland Turns Destructive

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An abortion rights protest in Portland, Oregon turned destructive over the weekend, with some people marching down the street breaking windows on businesses and vehicles and scrawling graffiti, police said.

Officers were monitoring the crowed but no one was arrested because they “did not have the resources to intervene at the moment,” police said in a statement Sunday. City police officers were also responding to a shooting, a felony assault, a community festival and drivers doing stunts in various parts of the city at the time, police said.

The protest against Friday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and leave abortion decisions up to the states began with a gathering of about 200 people at a park on Saturday. A group of about 60 of them — most dressed in black — marched down a street and smashed windows on banks, coffee shops, a Portland school van, a Tesla and a nonprofit that provides assistance to pregnant people. Most of the damage occurred between 10:05 p.m. and 10:40 p.m. police said.

The Mother and Child Education Center does not steer people away from abortion, said Executive Director Maura White. It provides services to people who have decided to have children, she said.

Police had warned her that the building might be damaged, she said.

The building was left with about $10,000 in damage, including smashed windows and graffiti, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.

The Portland Police Bureau is asking businesses and community members with surveillance cameras between the areas of Grant Park and the Hollywood District to view footage and see if they captured any evidence that might assist police.

The damage in Portland came a night after 10 people were arrested for disorderly conduct during a similar protest in Eugene.

Portland saw months of destructive protests against police brutality after police officers in Minneapolis killed George Floyd in May 2020.