Antifa protesters in Portland clashed with authorities Wednesday as they gathered to voice dissatisfaction with President Joe Biden, forcing officers to retreat and taking at least one police bicycle, authorities said.
The Portland Police Bureau said several events were planned in the city just hours after Biden was sworn in and implored the nation to come together. A crowd of up to 150 people gathered at Revolution Hall around 2 p.m. and marched to the headquarters of the Democratic Party of Oregon, Portland police Sgt. Kevin Allen said.
The so-called J20 protest was a demonstration against Biden and law enforcement.
Some in the group smashed windows and vandalized the building with graffiti. Calls and messages to the party headquarters were not immediately returned.
When the group left the area and marched to a nearby park, police officers made "targeted arrests" in connection to the damage at the Democratic headquarters. The group later dispersed.
In total, eight adults were arrested for crimes ranging from rioting and possession of a destructive device to reckless burning.
At one point when officers on bicycles entered the crowd to tell someone to remove metal poles affixed to a banner that could be used as a weapon, they were swarmed and pelted with objects, Allen said.
A video posted online shows a crowd of protesters trying to take one officer's bicycle.
"As officers disengaged, the crowd showed aggression by swarming officers and throwing objects," Allen said.
A knife was recovered from one protester, police said.
Officers deployed a smoke canister in an effort to safely leave the area, Allen said. Authorities warned the group they did not have a permit to march or remain on the sidewalk.
The crowd eventually moved west, with some people blocking a freeway on-ramp, police said. Dumpster fires were also lit in the area.
Other video clips show people holding banners that read: "We are ungovernable" and "We don't want Biden - We want revenge!" for "Police Murders," "Imperialist Wars" and "Fascist Massacres." Marchers called for an end to the sweeping of homeless encampments and advocated for other social justice causes.
National Guard troops were not present at the gatherings.
Earlier in the day, some 20 demonstrators gathered outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building to hold a vigil for detainees, the Oregonian reported.
Another group of up to 150 people gathered at Irving Park, which is peaceful, Allen said. Another gathering is planned for 8 p.m. local time at Elizabeth Caruthers Park, police said.
Portland became the site of nightly protests last year amid a national reckoning over police practices that often devolved into violence between demonstrators and authorities. Some gatherings saw destructive behavior, including assault, arson and murder.
Mayor Ted Wheeler recently decried what he described as a segment of violent agitators who detract from the message of police accountability and should be subject to more severe punishment.
In Seattle, one female from a group being monitored by police in the downtown area was arrested for alleged assault and someone else was taken into custody for damaging property. Multiple sites had been vandalized in the area, police said.