#Portland protesters, cops clash after Rittenhouse verdict

Police declared a riot in downtown Portland, Oregon after a group protesting Kyle Rittenhouse’s acquittal damaged property and threw rocks at cops on Friday night.

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office declared the riot just after 9 p.m. local time after 200 protesters began breaking windows and doors of city buildings and “throwing objects” at cops, officials said.

The group also talked about burning down the city’s Justice Center, which houses the Portland Police Bureau headquarters, a county jail and some courtrooms, KOIN TV reported.

Police Chief Chuck Lovell told the outlet earlier in the night that it was “reasonable to expect there will be some type of reaction to the verdict.”

Video from the scene posted by local independent journalist Grace Morgan showed armed police officers retreating as protesters advanced toward them. Other videos showed windows smashed at the Multnomah County Office building.

Portland Tribune reporter Zane Sparling shared photos on Twitter that showed buildings defaced by protesters with posters that said “Kyle Rittenhouse is guilty” and graffiti that read “No just verdict” and “F–k Kyle.”

Police warned residents that responses to lower-priority calls may be delayed:

“Significant resources have been diverted to address this riot and it is affecting response times,” the department said in a tweet.

Authorities told rioters via loud speaker disperse or risk being subject to pepper spray, impact weapons, citation or arrest.

The crowd had largely dispersed by 11 p.m. local time, according to KOIN TV.

It was not clear if any arrests had been made late Friday.