A mob of pro-choice protesters marched through Portland's Hollywood District on Saturday evening destroying several properties including a pregnancy center.
The Oregonian reported that the protesters damaged businesses in Northeast Portland as a "direct action" against the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the United States Supreme Court on Friday. The protesters advertised that "if abortions aren't safe then you aren't either."
A Direct Action Against The Supreme Court Ending Roe
According to the Portland Police Bureau, more than 60 rioters in black outfits marched around 10:00 p.m. from Grant Park in Northeast 33rd Avenue and U.S. Grant Place to the Hollywood District. The rioters broke everything in their way from windows of establishments to windows of parked vehicles. They similarly sprayed pink graffiti on the properties they passed by.
The pro-choice rioters particularly victimized a nonprofit motherhood support organization, Mother and Child Education Center; a branch of Starbucks and Bank of America; another bank; the Grant High School's van; and parked vehicles including a Model 3 Tesla.
Mother and Child Education Center's window was smashed and its metal gate was damaged. The rioters used silver paint to spray obscenities and symbols on the center's gate while its orange-red door's window was shattered. The center's windows that showed signages "we welcome all" were also shattered, causing the broken glass to fall on the children's toys inside.
Investigations are ongoing and the police have asked the affected businesses to submit any footage captured by their facilities that would present more information on the rioters. The police have also coordinated with those victimized for the removal of the graffiti left by the rioters and to implement necessary measures to secure the establishments.
As per a statement from the Oregon Police Bureau, no one was arrested during the incident even though officers were monitoring what took place. The Bureau clarified that this does not mean that those who perpetrated the riot would not be arrested and prosecuted. The matter will be forwarded to the Multnomah County District Attorney for prosecution as soon as the investigation is completed.
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The bureau explained that no arrests were made because they were understaffed at the time of the incident.
"Officers were monitoring the crowd, but did not have resources to intervene in the moment. At the time of this event, there was an injury shooting and a stabbing in East Precinct, and a felony assault in Central Precinct. Additionally, a community festival in North Precinct was underway, an impromptu 'dance party' drew approximately 1000 people to Irving Park, and they held a march and blocked traffic. There were also calls about speed racers doing stunts in various parts of Portland," the statement said.
Mother and Child Education Center Executive Director Maura White told The Oregonian her surprise that their establishment was included in the attack because they are not against abortion. White stressed that they are "not anything like that" and even disclosed her stand on the issue as "a pro-choice, liberal Catholic Democrat."
While Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler's top aid Sam Adams condemned the vandalism as "despicable" and admitted the city's need for "more police."
A String Of Pro-Choice Violence
The recent riot in Portland, which happened only a week after the pregnancy center South East Portland Resource Center was vandalized, is only one of the similar incidents happening across the country.
Several reports highlighted the past days how pro-choice activists have responded with more violence after a majority of Supreme Court justices voted 5-4 in overturning Roe v. Wade and voted 6-3 in siding with Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban. Other violent pro-choice protests were reported in New York, Chicago, Seattle, Philadelphia, and Wisconsin.
Media Research Center's NewsBusters reported that abortion rioters in New York City immediately took to vandalizing the Fox News Studios on Friday. The media outlet said the city is one of the cities where mass protests of abortion activists happened after the Supreme Court decided to end Roe. The protest in New York City particularly started in midtown Manhattan and became difficult to control when they became larger that night.
Fox News Correspondent Ashley Strohmier who was in the building when the mob passed by recounted people cursing at the broadcasting company, which has been known for its extensive coverage against abortion. The people also threw things at the windows of the studio. Strohmier immediately talked to building security who said there were a few graffiti on the building's walls and some metal barriers were knocked down when the abortion rioters left.
In addition, Live Action News highlighted that abortion protesters led by Planned Parenthood attempted to take over Wisconsin's capitol building when Governor Tony Evers failed to overturn an 1849 ban on abortion at the same time Roe v. Wade was overturned in the country.
The attacks on pregnancy centers, as well as, churches and pro-life organizations began in May when the Supreme Court's draft opinion on overturning Roe was exposed to the public by Politico. Christian leaders including bishops and legislators have already condemned the attacks on pregnancy centers, which the Federal Bureau of Investigation started investigating last week.
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