Portland police declared an “unlawful assembly” Friday night after protesters broke windows as they marched in North Portland.
A group of about 50 people set out from Peninsula Park at about 10:30 p.m., blocking traffic on North Rosa Parks Way and Albina Avenue, police say.
The group appears to have been protesting recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions, particularly the overturning of the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case. Earlier on Friday, parishioners at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church on Rosa Parks Way hastily boarded up the building’s glass entryway, saying they had been told by authorities they were considered a credible target.
Clergymen originally planned to hold a vigil on the church’s front steps Friday evening, but instead hired private security guards and told worshippers to stay away for their own safety.
“We’re targeted especially because we believe in the sanctity of human life, and the Supreme Court decision upsets people,” said Parochial Vicar Michael Belinsky. “But I think that’s a cloak for just being able to destroy.”
When police saw the windows of a vacant commercial building had been broken, they declared the unlawful assembly and addressed the crowd through a mobile loudspeaker.
The police also put out a message on Twitter:
“This has been declared an unlawful assembly. Leave the area now. Those involved in criminal behavior or those who refuse to leave the area are subject to arrest. The Bureau will investigate crimes committed tonight and will make arrests in the future. Stop damaging property and leave the area immediately. Those involved in criminal behavior or those who refuse to leave the area are subject to the use of force and arrest.”
The protesters soon dispersed. No arrests were made, police say.
Thousands of Portlanders have gathered peacefully at rallies since the June 22 overturning of Roe v. Wade, a reversal that ended 50 years of protection of abortion rights at the federal level.
Oregon leaders have vowed to protect reproductive health care access within the state, while the local chapter of Planned Parenthood has announced plans to build a new clinic on the Oregon-Idaho border.
But on Friday afternoon, Molly Garvey watched as her kids collected prayer books and Bibles from the pews of Holy Redeemer, as priests feared the items could catch fire or be used as projectiles if vandals breached the sanctuary.
Their fears never came to fruition, as the black-clad marchers did not stop at the church but instead scattered into the alleys of the adjacent residential neighborhood, trailed by at least 10 police cruisers flashing lights and sirens.
Garvey, an educator at Holy Redeemer Catholic School, said her family had marched with social justice protesters over the past few years, noting that her school serves a diverse student population and the church operates a twice-weekly food pantry.
She said the idea of a planned attack on a house of worship was “terrifying”.
“I don’t necessarily fault the frustration and anger and that need to do something,” she said. “I just don’t think damaging a church will get that point across in a way that would gather support.”
Priest Cameron Cortens noted that members of the congregation were angered by other recent Supreme Court decisions, including one announced Thursday limiting the government’s ability to regulate carbon emissions, as well as a ruling that struck down a New York law limiting the right to carry guns in public.
“Our church community, faithful Catholics, can find common ground,” he said.
Since the reversal of Roe v. Wade, black-clad groups have damaged several pregnancy-resource centers, most recently at a First Image center in Southeast Portland on July 27.
— Zane Sparling; zsparling@oregonian.com; 503-319-7083; @pdxzane
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