Apparently, a guilty verdict on all three counts in the George Floyd case was not enough for some activists. Portland rioters took to the streets within hours of the announcement, marching and smashing out windows of two different local Starbucks locations.
The group of approximately 120 people marched up SW 3rd Avenue. Members then proceeded to break windows at the Starbucks on SW 4th and SW Broadway, according to @DrewCMarine. One window had been tagged with the well-known antifa logo.
Another Starbucks at 4th and Morrison also sustained broken windows from protestors according to local reports.
In contrast with many past “mostly peaceful” Portland protests, the city’s police soon announced the assembly as unlawful and made several arrests. One demonstrator attempted to punch an officer and was soon beaten down and taken into custody.
According to a Portland police report, “Due to the criminal activity and clear intent to destroy property, the group was advised by loudspeaker that it had become an unlawful assembly and they were directed to leave the area.”
“By approximately 11:00p.m., the demonstrations began winding down and officers in multiple capacities began patrolling the downtown area to deter additional criminal activity,” the report added.
Portland law enforcement also noted they expect additional events in the following days after the Derek Chauvin trial and were preparing accordingly.
The incident notes multiple concerns regarding responses to the George Floyd trial. First, why are people rioting if Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all three counts? According to one flyer found in Portland, the protestors claimed:
“We got the verdict now. George Floyd can rest in peace! But we can’t forget about the others. Celebration of George’s life and all out for Duante Wright.”
In other words, even celebrations now include violence. Lovely!
Second, for some protestors, enough is never enough. The same day Derek Chauvin was found guilty, protestors were on to the next person they sought to use for demonstration purposes. Of course, if Duante Wright’s shooter was found guilty today, there would be the next person on the list.
When is enough enough?
For some protestors, the answer is never.
To be clear, many activists peacefully rejoiced at the verdict against Derek Chauvin. The American justice system worked as needed. A person was innocent until proven guilty, a case was held, and a verdict was given. Sentencing will follow, and an appeal will be likely as well.
This is how the legal system works. If you don’t like it, there are legal means to pursue to make it better. Smashing out windows and punching police officers is not part of a celebration or making things better.
One application is the need to better support our law enforcement. They’re going through a tough time now. But we don’t need to defend the police; we need to back the blue.
It’s through the strength of our law enforcement that we keep our communities safe. Let’s not turn against them because some protestors do. Let’s encourage the many good officers who help make America great.
