Demonstrators identifying themselves as Antifa vandalized a Democratic campaign office in downtown Portland, Oregon, smashing windows and spray painting “F—- Biden” and other profane messages on its walls, police said Monday.
The damage occurred late Sunday, resulting in the arrest of three people, the Portland Police Bureau said.
“Several members of the group began to tag the Multnomah County Democrats building with graffiti and broke out several of the building’s windows,” the police bureau said in a statement.
Police said the group met in the city’s Laurelhurst Park neighborhood before gathering in front of the building in the 3500 block of Northeast Sandy Boulevard.
Police made targeted arrests while the rest of the crowd dispersed, the bureau said.
Photos posted by the bureau showed the anarchy symbol, profane messages and other phrases such as “no presidents” spray-painted on its walls.
An “Oregonians for Biden-Harris” sign was visible behind a shattered window, according to the police photos.
Videos posted to social media show the group wearing black clothing associated with the anarchist movement Antifa. The police moved in and directed the group to remain on the sidewalk, but most of the group fled.
Three suspects — James Walker Prettyman, 24, Thomas Mollrocek, 33, and Maximillian Jennings, 22 — were booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on criminal mischief charges.
The incident happened hours after Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, rescinded an executive order increasing the law enforcement presence in the city to respond to election-related unrest. She said the demonstrations in response to presumptive President-elect Joseph R. Biden’s projected victory were peaceful.
“I would like to thank Oregonians for expressing their free speech rights largely through joyful celebrations yesterday,” Ms. Brown said in a statement Sunday. “I’d also like to thank the city, county and state law enforcement officers, as well as the Oregon National Guard volunteers, who worked over the past several days and nights to keep the peace and protect free speech in Portland.
“Portland has endured more than 100 nights of protests since the summer’s racial justice demonstrations erupted.
Despite the unrest in Portland, the rest of the country appeared to get back to normal as fears of widespread election violence turned out to be unfounded. In the District of Columbia, the mayor’s office asked downtown businesses to take down the plywood they used to board up windows and doors.
“Given our threat environment, they should take down all the boards,” Christopher Rodriguez, the city’s director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, told reporters Sunday.
City officials said there is no indication there will be any violence and will put out containers for businesses to throw away their boards.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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