Protesters in Portland, Oregon have set up a new autonomous zone around a family’s private property by surrounding the house with government-owned fences and barricades as they rallied against the family’s eviction, officials said.
Mayor Ted Wheeler said on Tuesday that it was “time for the encampment and occupation to end,” adding that the people rallying there are “illegally occupying private property.”
About 100 people gathered around the house that is located on Mississippi Avenue in the north side of the city, officials said.
The mayor has now given police the authority to end any illegal occupation around the house, adding that everyone who continues to violate community laws will be held accountable.
“There will be no autonomous zone in Portland,” said Wheeler, who is also Portland’s police commissioner.
In 2002, they experienced what the page describes as an “attack on their family,” when their 17-year-old son was taken to prison following an automobile accident, leaving them with no other choice but to take a loan against their home for paying the costly legal fees, the page reads.
However, despite these efforts, their son was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
In 2004, this trouble intensified even further after they refinanced a second mortgage that had an increasing interest rate, eventually leading to the auction of the house and them being removed from their home by authorities following several lawsuits.
As authorities worked toward the removal of the perimeter, they gave announcements via a loudspeaker to remind demonstrators not to interfere with the placing of fencing around private property and to stay away.
After police left the area at around 10 a.m., almost immediately protesters “removed a portion of the fence and entered the private property,” officials said.
“Police returned and attempted to disperse people from the property, however people began throwing objects at police vehicles and officers, broke police vehicle windows, and flattened tires on two police vehicles,” the release said.
“Officers disengaged and people entered the private property again. A crowd of people eventually used fencing and other materials to block North Mississippi Avenue and began stockpiling rocks,” police said.
At least 13 people were taken into custody with most of them facing trespassing and disorderly conduct charges. At least two people were also charged with resisting arrest and interfering with a peace officer.
Over the three-month period that protesters have held rallies at the properties on Mississippi Avenue, about 81 calls for services were made that included vandalism, fights, shots, burglary, theft, and blocking traffic, among other disorderly conduct, police said.
Authorities said they will now remain out of the area and monitor the situation.