The Oregon National Guard was called into the city of Portland after protests in the city turned violent Wednesday night, police said.
Local authorities proclaimed a riot after groups of demonstrators crushed property in the midtown part of the city, which the Multnomah County Sheriff’s office described as “widespread violence.”
“In light of a legitimate concern for public safety, Governor Kate Brown, under the guidance of the Unified Command, has activated the use of the Oregon National Guard to help local law implementation,” the agency said in a tweet.
“Guard members are prepared in crowd control and will ride with local response teams. They are wearing military-style clothing, which is their uniform,” they added.
The outburst of destructive protests comes a day after the contentious presidential election was held Tuesday night, but no clear winner emerged by Wednesday in the contest between Joe Biden and President Trump.
Portland has been hit by a wave of destructive protests since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis that touch off demonstrations and riots in cities across the country.
On Wednesday, two groups of demonstrators rallied in separate parts of the city before making their way downtown by about 7 p.m. local time, Fox 12 reported.
Some of the protesters then ran riot in the city, destroying ATMS, vandalizing buildings and breaking windows, according to the report.
