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POLICE IN THE US city of Portland declared a riot yesterday after “anarchists” threw rocks, smoke bombs and cans of Pepsi at officers in during a May Day rally.
At least three people were arrested over the march. Several businesses in Portland’s downtown area were also vandalised by groups of people wearing black masks who were seen breaking storefront windows, throwing incendiary devices and attacking a police vehicle.
The violence prompted authorities to cancel the permit for the march and warn that anyone remaining on the streets risked being arrested. People were advised to stay away from the area.
“Due to actions of anarchists in #MayDayPDX march, permit was cancelled. Law-abiding participants asked to use sidewalks and leave the area,” the Portland police said in a tweet.
“If you do not need to come to Downtown Portland, please stay away. #MayDayPDX is now considered a riot.”
The rally had kicked off with speakers denouncing the recent crackdown by President Donald Trump’s administration on undocumented immigrants and discussing workers’ rights.
But as the crowd marched in the downtown area, police said “anarchists” disrupted the march.
In a nod to a failed ad campaign by Pepsi featuring supermodel Kendall Jenner walking through a street protest and handing a can of Pepsi to a police officer, some Portland marchers threw cans of Pepsi at police.
Thousands march in cities
In major cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, thousands took to the streets downtown to protest against Trump’s policies.
New York’s initially peaceful demonstration of some 4,000 participants grew tense in the evening as protesters clashed with Trump supporters, some of them brandishing placards featuring the president’s slogan “Make America great Again.”
Black-clad anti-Trump supporters, their faces uncovered but carrying anarchist black flags, also entered the scene.
Several dozen police officers quickly arrived to separate the two groups and prevent violence. The protest began to disperse after sunset.
More than 100 groups joined the march in Los Angeles.
Police said at least one person was arrested after masked protesters threw rocks at supporters of Trump holding a rally in the downtown area. The protesters also burned an American flag.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti addressed the crowd at one point, vowing that the city would push back against Trump’s policies and protect its large immigrant community.
“As long as I am mayor, the LAPD will never be a deportation force,” he added. “They will be your police officers.”
Marchers in Chicago, the de facto capital of the US Midwest, represented a wide variety of causes, including activists for immigrant rights and the environment, labour unions demanding a higher minimum wage, and supporters of reproductive rights.
Rallies
There were colourful rallies before and after the two-mile march, with attendees carrying American and Mexican flags, the rainbow flag representing gay rights, and signs such as “Stop the Trump Agenda.”
The election of Donald Trump is a challenge to all of us, whether we will stand up and speak up for our values, said Senator Dick Durbin, a Democrat.
Labour groups representing labourers, hospital and home nursing care workers, food workers, teachers and others, called for a higher minimum wage.
Abortion rights supporters held up signs in support of Planned Parenthood, a non-profit health provider that Republicans and the Trump administration are seeking to defund.
Police reform and racial justice groups criticised the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, including unsuccessful attempts to ban refugees and immigrants from certain Muslim-majority countries.
“We have to come together and we have to stop this guy. He is not the king of the United States,” said Oscar Cruz, 58, describing himself as a Mexican immigrant who has lived in the United States for 28 years.
President Trump has ordered more aggressive enforcement of immigration laws, speeded-up deportations, and ultimately wants to erect a wall along the US-Mexico border.
“It’s criminalisation of our communities — black, Latino, Asian, Arab — that is the problem. That is what we’re organising against,” said Barbara Ransby, a professor at the University of Illinois.
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Soft drinks so no one got hurt.
@Padraig Corcoran: This guy is an absolute legend https://youtu.be/7u3uhKxNPNg
That Pepsi ad campaign was more of a success than they thought. Official sponsor to a riot near you.
These are the same people who riot to prevent free speech in America. Look at all the cancelled events in universities etc. The left has become totally authoritarian, violent and intolerant of any alternative perspectives
@Pat Mustard: Alt-right meet Ctrl-left. Should just ctrl-alt-delete the whole toxic political environment
Disgruntled Democrats with no regard for the democratic process combined with incendiary rhetoric from the liberal press propaganda machine.
A heady lethal mix.
America is on the brink of anarchy.
@Jack Cassady: steady on old bot, there’s plenty of people here on the left condemning these s(um
What do you expect. May Day only attracts communists and anarchists. The US Labour Day is in September, so May Day isn’t even recognized by American labour.
Me: “Hurl the cans of coke cola at them”
Waiter: “is pepsi okay?”
Anyone marching with their face covered is almost guaranteed to start some shit. Dirtbags. Look at a group photo of antifa side by side with an isis group photo. Almost indistinguishable.
@Matty kinevan: ANTIFA are an absolute disgrace. Anybody that thinks violence is a form of debate is an absolute moron
@Dave O Keeffe: They should be a designated terrorist organisation in my opinion.
@Matty kinevan: there’d be trouble with that in the states what with free speech and gun laws. It makes it very difficult to designate anyone a terrorist group unless they’re blowing people up
@Dave O Keeffe: Give em time Dave… give em time
@Matty kinevan: oh I’m not saying it’s beyond them. They’re stupid enough to not see(pronounce Nazi) how hypocritical they are then they’re definitely stupid enough to go that far.
At least the Left don’t go on a killing spree like Ultranationalist Anders Breivik did to make a political point.
@BannonsBarse: Not yet anyway
@BannonsBarse: Can’t understand why you’d make excuses for this behaviour
@Matty kinevan: Yeah, there is no excuse for this behaviour whatsoever. Although the reason he’s making excuses is simple, trolls gonna troll.
@BannonsBarse: Yes, thank god no-one has ever been killed in the name of left wing politics. Ever.
@BannonsBarse:
They certainly do go on killing sprees, but it’s usually carried out in the name of a purge of intellectuals and potential opponents after they’ve seized power.
@BannonsBarse:
“At least the left blah blah balh….” ffs we’re not in primary school….Liam.
No one likes Pepsi
“Black clad anti trump supporters” – antifa, anti free speech domestic terrorists actually. Biased afp strikes again.
All I want is a Pepsi, and she wouldn’t give it to me. All I wanted was a Pepsi, just one Pepsi, and she wouldn’t give it to me.
Just a Pepsi.
Idiots. I bet Ya they paid for the cans
Well they did say ‘PEPSI the choice of a new generation’
i prefer pepsi then coke
@Nasir Naz: coke as a chaser? Interesting
Time to ban Antifa
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