More than a hundred “heavily armed” protestors have descended on the Oregon State Capitol, with the local police advising citizens to avoid the capitol mall area.
“There are approximately 150-200 participants that are heavily armed at the capitol at this time,” the police tweeted.
The police warned the protestors that they are participating in an illegal event and told them to disperse, saying that “failure to do so may result in arrest”. The Oregon State Police and the Salem Police Department's crowd management teams then started removing the protestors from the streets.
Footage from social media captured the protesting crowd carrying “Antifa” flags.
Multiple videos on social media show the protesters throwing paint balls and projectiles and smashing windows on cars driven by conservative activists, who reportedly travelled by car from a gathering spot in Sandy.
One of the truck drivers who got the tail lights of his vehicle smashed after he pulled over, pulled a gun on the protestors after they started surrounding him with batons and what appear to be pepper spray cans, and smashed his window. The man told the protestors to get away from him, then dropped his gun on his truck’s cargo bed and quickly complied with the police officer demanding him to lay on the ground. The man was reportedly released from custody later and allowed to return to his truck.
The police declared the protest "unlawful assembly" and formed a line in front of the Capitol.