Ten people were arrested during a violent “protest” at an Oregon pro-life pregnancy center on Friday night.
The Eugene Police Department said that the protesters were throwing smoke bombs and trying to fight police outside the Dove Medical Center after 9 p.m.
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According to a press release from the police department, “On June 24, Eugene Police began receiving reports of a group publicizing on social media for people to come to a ‘Night of Rage’ in the wake of an opinion by the Supreme Court of the United States, Dobbs v. Jackson (related to Roe v. Wade). The group’s stated meeting point was Dove Medical Center, 487 E. 11th Avenue, for around 10 p.m.. Due to the potential for property damage toward a business located in Eugene, as well as the general safety and security of the other businesses and residents downtown, Eugene Police monitored the situation.”
“Night of Rage” protests and riots swept the nation on Friday in response to the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.
The department said that around 9:21 p.m. people began arriving to the area “wearing all black clothing with masks and hoods.”
“Many also had backpacks that appeared to contain unknown objects. The crowd started growing and moved toward the medical building. Eugene Police’s Mobile Response Team arrived in the area to block the building using its vehicles and officers to surround the building. The crowd continued to grow and began blocking E. 11th Avenue by standing in the roadway. Some people were observed picking up rocks and several began putting on gas masks. One female had a chemical pump sprayer and she was pumping it up. Additional EPD Patrol resources were called in,” the department explained.
The officers at the scene began warning the group of over 75 people that they were committing disorderly conduct and were subject to arrest.
“This had no effect on the crowd and they advanced closer to officers. Unknown people in the crowd threw smoke bombs at officers along with several filled water bottles. EPD’s Crisis Negotiation Team eventually used their sound truck, which has an LRAD system, to provide louder volumes to the admonishments so those could be hear over the crowd noise,” the press release continued.
The crowd did not comply with the orders.
Eugene Police say that after the first arrest, the crowd became “extremely loud and verbally hostile toward the officers and tried to get through the line.” EPD called in additional resources including Springfield Police Department and Department of Homeland Security.
“The incident forced EPD’s operations to go into what is termed ‘priority calls,’ where much of the rest of the community’s individual calls for service, if they are not immediate life-safety emergencies, to be placed on hold or not responded to. Springfield Police provided mutual aid for priority one calls,” the department said.
Police continued making arrests, with people fighting with officers and not complying with lawful orders, leading to pepperballs being deployed in a few cases at people’s feet and legs. At that point the crowd size decreased.
The entire situation took roughly five hours to diffuse and several officers were injured.
The following arrests were made:
Destiny Aaliyah Woolman, age 20, of Eugene, Harassment
Mikayla D’Ann Alexander, age 22, of Roseburg – Disorderly Conduct
Brandon Emmanual Caletz, age 24, of Eugene – Disorderly Conduct
Rhiannon Elizabeth Clayton, age 19, of Eugene – Disorderly Conduct
Rachel Jean Tillman, age 29, of Eugene – Disorderly Conduct
Kira Anne Elliott, age 20, of Eugene- Disorderly Conduct
Hayden Martin Williams, age 19, of Eugene – Disorderly Conduct
Alex Kendahl Woodward Franz, age 18, no address listed – Disorderly Conduct
Elijah Gabriel Comer, age 20, no address listed – Disorderly Conduct
Orion Timothy Deschamps, age 20, of Eugene – Disorderly Conduct, Escape in the Third Degree, Resisting Arrest