Caravan of Trump supporters rallies in Oregon's biggest city

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A caravan of supporters of President Donald Trump drove into downtown Portland Saturday night to show their support of him in a part of the city that has been the site of nightly protests for three months since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

The caravan of about 600 vehicles headed for downtown after a rally in the parking lot of the Clackamas Town Center shopping mall. Many of the rally-goers waved Trump flags.

“This rally is not a protest,” Alex Kyzik, an organizer, told the crowd, according to the Oregonian/Oregonlive.com. “This rally is a celebration of a great president.”

The caravan left for downtown about 5:15 p.m.

They were greeted by Black Lives Matter protesters who had gathered downtown for their own rally. There were reports of arguments between the groups.

Saturday's rally was the third consecutive weekend that pro-Trump demonstrators converged in and around Portland, leading to clashes with counter protesters, the Oregonian/Oregonlive.com reported.

The Black Lives Matter demonstrations usually target police buildings and federal buildings. Some protesters have called for reductions in police budgets while the city’s mayor and some in the Black community have decried the violence, saying it’s counterproductive.

Early Saturday morning fires set outside a police union building that’s a frequent site for protests in prompted police to declare a riot.

An accelerant was used to ignite a mattress and other debris that was laid against the door of the Portland Police Association building, police said in a statement. At least one dumpster had also been set on fire in the street nearby.

The commotion followed a sit-in in the lobby of the Portland mayor’s condo building Friday night.