At least 100 protesters arrested as police kettle marchers in Portland

Some in crowd chanting ‘let them go’ at officers were pepper sprayed, police say some threw rocks and cans of beer at officers

Protests in Portland, Oregon, in 2020 (2020 The Associated Press)

Police arrested at least 100 protesters in Portland, Oregon stopping the demonstration in its tracks just minutes after it started.

The Oregonian reported that officers used a tactic called "kettling," where they surround protesters and contain them within a small area. Police told the demonstrators that they were detaining everyone within the perimeter they had created for the "investigation of a crime” but didn't specify what crime they were investigating.

Portland Police tweeted during the police action: "To everyone inside the perimeter: you are being detained for investigation of a crime. You are not free to leave. You must stay where you are and comply with officers' lawful orders."

Protesters gathered at around 8.30pm on Friday and started marching at around 9pm. Threats of arrests started coming from the police only minutes after the start of the march, with officers arguing that protesters were blocking traffic and saying that they would be subject to arrest, citation or crowd control munitions if they didn't disperse, according to The Oregonian.

Police said at around 9.20pm that they were circling the protesters and that mass arrests were imminent, calling the detentions “temporary”. A crowd formed on the outside of the police perimeter chanting “let them go”. Some people outside the police perimeter facing off with officers were reportedly pepper-sprayed by law enforcement.

KGW reported that posts on Twitter were calling people to the scene to protest against the presence of officers from the Department of Homeland Security in the city and calling for accountability for police violence against BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color).

Read more: ‘It’s you’: Portland mayor blames ‘racist’ Trump for violence as he warns those seeking retribution for dead MAGA fan

At around 10.15pm, police started letting legal observers and reporters go, giving them pieces of duct tape with their name and birth date to fasten to their chests, and taking pictures of them without their masks on.

Videographer Adam Costello told The Oregonian that two windows were smashed and that may have led to the officers' show of force. Police followed the march from the get-go and the protest lasted less than 15 minutes.

Portland Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler told the paper in January that “if kettling is to be used as a technique it has to be well-planned and well-trained for".

He added: “What I think we should do is have an open conversation with all of our law enforcement partners and legislative leaders about which tools are appropriate and how to best use them.

“I’m not saying kettling should be off the table, but I think we should have a conversation about how we should use it as a tool and use it appropriately should we decide to use it.”

This was the second night in a row that police used force to deal with protesters after using tear gas on Thursday night as some demonstrators were continuing an anti-oil pipeline protest from earlier in the day.

According to a statement by Portland police, 13 people were charged with crimes.

The Portland Police Bureau said: “Officers detained a group of about 100 in a march that devolved into property destruction in the Pearl District.“On Friday, March 12, 2021, at about 9pm, a group began marching in the street, blocking vehicular traffic, from Jamison Park, 810 Northwest 11th Avenue. They were advised by loudspeaker that the street was open to vehicular traffic, but the crowd continued to march in the street.

“At about 9.15pm., at Northwest 15th Avenue and Northwest Overton Street, some in the crowd began breaking windows. Officers moved in to address the criminal behaviour.”

The Bureau added: “As the event unfolded, groups formed on the outside and physically challenged officers. Some threw rocks and full cans of beer at officers. Officers deployed some OC (pepper) spray and one impact munition. Arrests were made, including two suspects carrying firearms, wearing body armour and helmets.”