Portland, Oregon, city of protest, reels from nightly chaos

By GILLIAN FLACCUS Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Portland, Oregon, is known for protests that can descend into chaos, but even the liberal city is reeling from the nightly unrest spreading from peaceful demonstrations over George Floyd’s death. For five nights, smaller groups have smashed windows, set fires and broken into buildings. The mayhem is not unique to Portland, but the sustained demonstrations in a place famously nicknamed “Little Beirut” by a staffer for President George H.W. Bush have pushed police to the brink. That’s unusual for a city well-versed in civil disobedience. The police chief on Wednesday pleaded with people to help stop those “who are holding our city with violence.”