WATCH: Firework explodes in protester’s FACE as Portland riot continues into early hours

Several hundred people gathered in downtown Portland for protests which, though initially peaceful, morphed into a riot complete during which mortars were fired and knives were thrown.

There was some collateral damage as one protester was injured by a firework in an incident captured in eyewitness video from the scene. 

Warning: Some viewers may find footage of the incident upsetting.

Police allege the protesters unleashed “commercial-grade fireworks” throughout Thursday evening and Friday morning’s unrest, and even published images of what they allege was a “mortar” exploding outside the city’s Justice Center.

At 11:42 pm on Thursday, police claim protesters began firing projectiles including “large rocks, full cans, and bottles” with slingshots, triggering a firefight with police who used non-lethal munitions to disperse the crowd. 

Police claim that protesters began lighting fires at the same time as they deployed the “commercial-grade fireworks” on Southwest Main Street. 

“To protect the life and safety of personnel both inside and outside of the Federal Court House, at 11:52pm, a riot was declared,” authorities said in a statement.

Several arrests were made at this point in the night, though exact figures were not provided. During these confrontations, authorities claim an open pocket knife was thrown at officers.  

At approximately 12:46am local time, protesters returned to the courthouse and opened fire with “mortars.” A small fire broke out inside the building where the glass doors had been shattered in previous clashes. 

Crowd control munitions were deployed again and further arrests were made. Police claim that no CS gas was used during the protest, which was ongoing at the time of writing.

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