PORTLAND, Ore. -- Eight people were arrested and three officers were injured when protesters clashed with police in downtown Portland in a rally against two recent officer-involved shootings Monday night.
"Portland is angry with the non-accountability that's taken place with the latest police killings," said protester Rahsaan Muhammad.
Officers in riot gear headed down SW Salmon during rush hour. Video showed clashes between about 200 protesters and police as officers tried to keep the group on the sidewalk. The protesters were all dressed in black and most of their faces were covered with bandannas. They called themselves the "black block."
Detective Mary Wheat, with the Portland Police Bureau, said three officers were injured during the protest and investigators were working to identify and arrest the people who assaulted them.
"It's ridiculous we can't gather as citizens of this country and execute our rights to gather as human beings," said one protester.
Police said the march got out of control and eight people were arrested on a variety of charges including disorderly conduct, criminal mischief and riot. They were scheduled to appear in court Tuesday afternoon.
Investigators said some of the protesters also vandalized the Bank of America, smashing windows along SW 5Th Avenue. A protester also tried to rip the cables out of a KGW live truck.
Late Tuesday morning, police released the names of seven of the people arrested. Matthew Miller, Tanner Sick, Saul Foster, Kenneth Simmonds, Jordan Farmstead, Michael Trier, and Joseph Mason faced a variety of charges including interfering with a peace officer, riot and disorderly conduct. The eighth name had not yet been released.
Anti-police protest
The protest was in reaction to deadly use of force by police. The latest was the shooting of Jackie Collins last week in Washington Park. Collins was shot after he threatened an officer with a knife, according to investigators.
Also, in February, Portland police shot and killed Aaron Campbell, who was unarmed.
Dozens of protesters wore face masks, describing themselves as the "Black bloc" according to a posting on Portland Indy media.
The protesters said they planned to return to the streets on Tuesday afternoon for another rally.
Separately, Rev. Jesse Jackson was in Portland and met with civil rights groups to discuss the recent police-involved shootings.
