Complicated past behind Portland’s violent Trump protests

Oregon’s largest city is often depicted as a progressive haven: a bastion of hippies and hipsters, feminists and vegans, bike commuters, urban farmers, backyard-chicken owners and coffee snobs.

Decades after Portland’s peace protests earned it the nickname “Little Beirut,” its deep blue reputation has been cemented far beyond the Northwest via the exaggerated – and sometimes spot-on – stereotypes of the sketch comedy show “Portlandia.”

But in recent days, as protests erupted in several U.S. cities following Donald Trump’s election victory, Portland’s mostly peaceful demonstrations were tainted by uncharacteristic violence.

On Thursday, a march turned into a seething riot as baseball-bat-wielding anarchists took aim at plate-glass windows, windshields and electrical power boxes. Early Saturday, one protester was shot in the leg. Overnight Saturday, protesters filled downtown streets despite discouragement from city officials and demonstration organizers, and 71 people were arrested, most on charges of disorderly conduct. They were mostly male, with an average age of 25. More here.

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