A group of rioters carrying signs against President Joe Biden and police marched in Portland on Inauguration Day and attacked the headquarters of the Democratic Party of Oregon, police said.
A warm welcome for the new commander in chief from the far-left.
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Some in the group of about 150 people smashed windows and spray-painted anarchist symbols at the political party building. Police said eight arrests were made in the area. Some demonstrators carried a sign with a gun pictured on it that read, “We don’t want Biden, we want revenge!” in response to “police murders” and “imperialist wars.”
Others carried a banner declaring “We Are Ungovernable” and demanding “A New World From The Ashes.”
Police said on Twitter that officers on bicycles had entered the crowd to contact someone with a weapon and to remove poles affixed to a banner that they thought could be used as a weapon.
Police said the crowd swarmed and attacked the officers and threw objects at authorities, who used a smoke canister to get away.
The group was one of several that gathered in the city on Inauguration Day, police said. A car caravan in the city celebrated the transition of presidential power and urged policy change, The Oregonian reported. Another group gathered around 5 p.m. in northeast Portland with speakers talking about police brutality.
Portland has been the site of frequent protests, many involving violent clashes between officers and demonstrators, ever since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May. Over the summer, there were demonstrations for more than 100 straight days.
Mayor Ted Wheeler has decried what he described as a segment of violent agitators who detract from the message of police accountability and should be subject to more severe punishment.
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The violence wasn’t isolated to Portland. A mob of about 100 people also marched in Seattle on Wednesday, where police said they attacked the city’s federal courthouse. Windows were broken at the courthouse and officers arrested three people.
The crowd called for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and, outside the federal immigration court, several people set fire to an American flag, The Seattle Times reported.
In Denver, Antifa protesters gathered outside the state capitol and burned an American flag.
You can see clips from some of the violence in Portland below —
The group left after Portland police rolled up. Some photos of the aftermath. pic.twitter.com/lJqqtDkO4O
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) January 21, 2021
Antifa in Portland burns an American and Joe Biden flag in the street. pic.twitter.com/iuUYPACfkw
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) January 21, 2021
The Associated Press contributed to this article