On a recent Saturday, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) mobilized their Incident Management Team to monitor protests taking place in South Portland's neighborhood, precisely around the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building, as reported by the PPB. Officers from various units, including the Rapid Response Team (RRT), Dialogue Liaison Officers (DLOs), and Mobile Field Forces, were deployed, and the PPB expressed gratitude for the support from Portland Fire & Rescue.
The action began before a scheduled 4 p.m. rally when Jamie Hindery, a Hillsboro resident, and Marvin Simmons, from Banks, disrupted police operations, leading to Hindery's arrest; at the same time, Simmons was hospitalized for an unrelated medical issue, but he wasn't free from the law, and he was cited as well. Following a peaceful assembly at Elizabeth Caruthers Park, attendees moved toward the ICE facility, which later, around 6:45 p.m., became the site where Evalynn Kotasek, a Portland local, attempted to remove plywood from the building and was subsequently arrested and charged with Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree, as per the bureau's statement.
Additionally, at 8:15 p.m., another individual, Reginald Macrae from Milwaukie, was accused of throwing glass candles at federal officers, leading to his arrest on several charges including Attempted Assault on a Peace Officer, the details of which were outlined by the PPB. Amid the unrest, the bureau highlighted that no crowd control munitions were used, marking a distinct approach to managing the protest.
In total, the number of arrests regarding ICE protest activities has climbed to 86, signaling an ongoing tension and discord between law enforcement and activists in Portland. The PPB also reassured the public its commitment to safety and proper enforcement of the law, stating that "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," as revealed in an official PPB announcement. The bureau encourages the community to follow their updates via the Events channel on X (formerly known as Twitter) to stay informed about ongoing and upcoming protest activity and police responses in the area.
