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Rioting Continues In Democrat-Run U.S. Cities Over Labor Day Weekend

By: Jordan Boyd
6 min read

President Trump condemned the weekend violence, calling out the “Radical Left Democrat Governors and Mayors” for “weakly” managing the continuing riots.

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Over 100 days of rioting and unrest continues in major U.S. cities following the death of George Floyd in May. Labor Day weekend was no exception. While some cities saw their first round of chaos this week, others suffered yet another long night of injuries, arrests, and fires.

President Trump condemned the weekend violence in a tweet calling out the “Radical Left Democrat Governors and Mayors” for “weakly” managing the continuing riots.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1302972258034614273?s=20

Portland

On Saturday, rioters threw objects, yelled, and pushed back on police in Portland. Reports of “firebombs, rocks, mortars,” and other objects were thrown at officers who “used tear gas for the first time in weeks” according to local news. 

One rioter appeared to catch fire after running through flames on the street. Police reportedly succeeded in putting out the man’s clothes on fire.

https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/1302476966801539073?s=20

“I think it’s going to keep going on until the election,” said one Portland protestor, 23-year-old Tupac Leahy. “I don’t see it slowing down.”

Video shows fireworks and other munitions going off on the road in front of a row of houses.

Similar events occurred on Sunday night when rioters lit multiple mattresses on fire.

By the end of the weekend, over 50 people were arrested on charges of assaulting a public safety officer, riot, disorderly conduct, interfering with a peace officer and others.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown signed a letter along with elected officials and members of the community on Thursday condemning the violence in Portland. Most of the letter, however, is devoted to defending those who are “peacefully protesting” and denouncing “white supremacy or vigilantism.”

“As elected officials and community leaders, we are coming together to condemn the acts of violence in Portland that have occurred as thousands of Oregonians have been peacefully protesting for racial justice and police accountability,” the letter says. “The violence must stop. There is no place for white supremacy or vigilantism in Oregon. All who perpetrate violent crimes must be held equally accountable. Together, we are committing ourselves to do the hard work that will bring meaningful change for racial justice and police reform.”

Brown t00k her opinions a step further in a written statement claiming that President Trump is encouraging and exploiting the violence for his own gain.

“For the last several years, and escalating in recent months, President Trump has encouraged division and stoked violence. It happened in Charlottesville. It happened in Kenosha. And now, unfortunately, it is happening in Portland, Oregon,” she said.

In a press conference the day after a “100% Antifa” man shot and killed a conservative man, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler also took the liberty to shift blame from rioters and Antifa to focus on attacking Trump.

“Do you seriously wonder, Mr. President, why this is the first time in decades that America has seen this level of violence?” Wheeler said in an afternoon press conference. “It’s you who have created the hate and the division.”

Despite acknowledging that Portland “police officers have been spread too thin by three months of nightly protests for racial justice and against police violence,” Wheeler also refused federal law enforcement offered to him by Trump.

“Yet again, you said you offered to aid Portland by sending in federal law enforcement to our city. On behalf of the City of Portland: No thanks,” Wheeler wrote in an open letter that Trump shot back at on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1300170578134003713?s=20

Seattle

A protest in Seattle “suddenly turned violent” on Labor Day after multiple “anti-police” protestors attacked officers with “rocks, bottles, explosives” and “bear spray” outside of the police union building.

Molotov cocktails were also found on the scene after reportedly “being tossed in the street and catching fire.”

According to KOMO News, 22 people were arrested but sources say that “recent restrictions on crowd control weapons leave officers with fewer options when confronting riots like the one that happened on Labor Day.”

Despite the ongoing violence lead by anti-police rioters, popular worship leader Sean Feucht says the city shut him down for trying to host a worship service in a park.

https://www.facebook.com/sean.feucht/posts/10158501582077487

Rochester

Protests and riots began after video released of the death of Daniel Prude while in police custody back in March surfaced. According to reports, the video shows “officers holding Daniel Prude on the ground with a spit sock on his head” until he stopped breathing. Prude died a week later after being “declared brain dead at the hospital.”

Police and protestors clashed in Rochester on Friday night resulting in 11 arrests and 3 injured officers. Rioters threw objects at the officers, shot off fireworks, and set fires.

On Monday morning, a group of protestors “naked or in minimal clothes” sat outside of the city Public Safety Building wearing spit hoods in protest of Prude’s death.

Other demonstrations and protests began to turn rowdy on Monday, where Rochester Police report that bottles were thrown at officers and that a police barricade was breached.

Other videos of riots last week show fireworks being shot at officers in riot gear and protestors “smashing tables and harassing patrons into leaving” restaurants.

On Tuesday, Rochester Police Chief La’Ron Singletary and the RPD command staff announced their retirement

“As a man of integrity, I will not sit idly by while outside entities attempt to destroy my character. The events over the past week are an attempt to destroy my character and integrity. The members of the Rochester Police Department and the Greater Rochester Community know my reputation and know what I stand for. The mischaracterization and the politicization of the actions that I took after being informed of Mr. Prude’s death is not based on facts, and is not what I stand for,” Singeltary stated.

NYC

Multiple people were arrested for rioting on Friday after causing “an estimated $100,000 in damages” to buildings on “Manhattan’s Foley Square up to 24th Street.” The group reportedly smashed windows for three hours before being arrested.

According to Fox News, one of the rioters charged with “rioting and two counts of weapons possession” spent her summer protesting in Portland.

Jordan Boyd is a staff writer at The Federalist and co-producer of The Federalist Radio Hour. Her work has also been featured in The Daily Wire, Fox News, and RealClearPolitics. Jordan graduated from Baylor University where she majored in political science and minored in journalism. Follow her on Twitter @jordanboydtx.

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