On November 22, a peaceful march in downtown Portland during the day transformed into tense protest activity by night in the South Waterfront neighborhood. The Portland Police Bureau (PPB), using an Incident Management Team and liaisons known as Dialogue Liaison Officers (DLOs), worked to facilitate the daytime event at Tom McCall Waterfront Park with minimal intervention required. In a statement by PPB, significant praise was given to the event coordinators and community members, acknowledging their cooperation in maintaining a peaceful atmosphere.
As the sun set, the tone shifted near the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building, prompting PPB to deploy Rapid Response Teams and maintain a periodic presence. The PPB reported a singular arrest: Preston A. Reyes, 51, of Gresham, was charged with Harassment after an altercation in which he spat on another individual. According to the Portland Government website, Reyes attempted to flee but was later apprehended by officers.
Tensions escalated further with individuals engaging in skirmishes that involved the use of irritant sprays. Officers conducted interviews and gathered evidence from those involved and witnesses for potential future prosecutions. This brings the total arrests related to nightly protests in the area to 68. The PPB has made it clear that while they do not engage in immigration enforcement under Directive 810.10, public safety and upholding state laws are within their mandate.
For ongoing updates, the PPB directs the public to follow their communication via the Events channel on X, a platform formerly known as Twitter. They also emphasize that lack of arrests on the scene does not equate to absence of charges, with subsequent investigations and prosecutions remaining a very much active possibility. "Just because arrests are not made at the scene, when tensions are high, that does not mean that people are not being charged with crimes later," says an excerpt from the PPB statement on their website. The Portland Police Bureau is committed to supporting constitutionally protected activity, yet they are equally focused on addressing criminal acts, even if arrests are not immediate.
