AMERICA— On Wednesday night, August 19, a riot was declared at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building on the 4300 block of South Macadam Avenue in Portland.

When the large gathering of a couple hundred people reached the ICE building at around 9:28 p.m., members of the crowd shined lights and lasers at Federal officers who were inside of the building. They also spray painted graffiti outside the building and began kicking and banging on doors.

Several people in the crowd wore helmets and gas masks and carried shields.

Announcements were made declaring the gathering as an unlawful assembly and ordering the crowd to disperse to the north.

Portland Police tweeted “To those near SW Bancroft St and SW Bond Ave at the ICE Building: The gathering has been declared an unlawful assembly. All persons near SW Bancroft St and SW Bond Ave must disperse by traveling to the NORTH.  You are ordered to disperse immediately.”

When Portland Police officers began dispersing the crowd, individuals threw glass bottles, rocks, full cans of soda, and a hammer at them. In their report, the Portland Police compared the size of the rocks thrown at the to the size of softballs. Because of the danger this put officers in, the gathering was declared a riot.

According to the Portland Police Bureau, the definition of a riot is when “ six or more persons engage in tumultuous and violent conduct and thereby intentionally or recklessly creating a grave risk of causing public alarm, excluding persons who are engaged in passive resistance.”

At around 11:30 p.m., a mattress was set on fire at the intersection of South Gaines Street and South Bond Avenue. As the fire grew, group members blocked the intersection and chanted loudly.

The group then marched back to the ICE building and began breaking the building’s windows. Crowd control munitions and CS gas were used during dispersals. Most of the crowd was dispersed by 1:30 a.m.

Two people were arrested at the event. Joshua Buckley, 30, Mark Putman, 25, were both arrested for Interfering with a Peace Officer and Disorderly Conduct II.

Officers experienced minor injuries.

This is one of nightly demonstrations that have taken place in Portland since Friday, May 29.