We were supposed to believe that peaceful protesters in Portland were being provoked into violence by federal officers trying to keep the federal courthouse from getting burned down. But, with the feds taking a step back, the violence has continued:
The Multnomah Building, where the local sheriff has offices, was a new target for the protesters. Previous protests focused primarily on police precincts and the police union building. Unlike those locations, the Multnomah Building also houses offices for county departments that provide social services that have no connection to the police. The building has been closed, except to take donations of masks and other protective equipment amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Tuesday night’s fire damaged important county resources that have nothing to do with policing, officials said, including the county’s Office of Community Involvement, which aims to engage historically marginalized communities in local political decisions about social services and the distribution of public resources.
“The lobby where the first same-sex marriage in Oregon took place, and where millions of pieces of personal protective equipment are being distributed to help our community battle covid-19, was damaged,” Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury said in a statement.
