Demonstrations in Salem that devolved into tense confrontations downtown on New Year鈥檚 Day led to three arrests, the Salem Police Department said on Saturday.
, law enforcement agencies are expecting more unrest in the weeks ahead 鈥� including a nationwide protest on Wednesday.
鈥淚鈥檝e been doing crowd control with the Salem Police Department now about 15 years,鈥� Salem Police Lt. Treven Upkes said of the Friday events. 鈥淔or strictly just a Salem event, that was one of the largest we鈥檇 seen.鈥�
. Upkes estimated at least 200 people attended.
Around 2 p.m. protesters marched from the Capitol to Mahonia Hall, the governor鈥檚 official residence. Police said many walked in the street, blocked intersections and splintered into different groups.
A group of Proud Boys, a far-right group that has attracted white supremacists and engaged in violence at other demonstrations, broke off toward Bush鈥檚 Pasture Park, where antifascist activists had staged a counter-protest. In an official statement Saturday, Salem police said both groups were armed.
鈥淢any of the attendees at the state capitol were armed with various weapons, knives, chemical sprays, batons and firearms,鈥� Salem Police said. 鈥淭he event at Bush鈥檚 Pasture Park was organized by self-identified anti-fascists who were also armed with a variety of weapons including firearms.鈥�
Upkes said police intervened to quell any violence, but he added that other groups, including the Proud Boys, traveled through downtown 鈥渕ore or less looking to instigate problems.鈥�
Tensions flared at the corner of High and State streets in downtown. Video captured by an OPB reporter shows far-right protesters yelling at a line of police officers in riot gear. Police said they were separating the groups.
Anti-lockdown protest in Salem, Oregon
— Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos)
Speaker: 鈥淲e need to send a message to these police, that when it comes down to the wire, they need to be on the right side鈥�
— Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos)
鈥淩emember your oath!鈥�
鈥淣either group complied with initial dispersal orders and Proud Boys affiliates had to be forcibly moved back from the business by officers,鈥� police said.
Soon after, police declared an unlawful assembly. Police used less-lethal munitions to disperse the crowd.
The three people arrested were Robert Davis, 31, of Springfield; Joshua Lindquist, 33, of Salem; and Max Damaskin, 33, of Salem.
Upkes said police are bracing for another demonstration Wednesday. Protests are planned nationwide that day when Congress is set to certify President-elect Joe Biden鈥檚 victory. Agencies near Oregon鈥檚 capitol 鈥� the Salem Police, Oregon State Police, and the sheriff鈥檚 offices of Marion and Polk counties 鈥� are planning to be ready.
鈥淲e鈥檝e had to really bring in more resources and involve partner agencies that we normally wouldn鈥檛 need,鈥� Upkes said.
The protest Wednesday is billed by organizers as an occupation of the Capitol grounds, Upkes said. The state Capitol is Oregon State Police鈥檚 jurisdiction, and an agency spokesperson did not respond to a question about their plans.
But a static, one-location demonstration is easier to police, Upkes said. Friday鈥檚 event included an unpermitted march through the city and stretched police ability to monitor.
Still, he said, those can get unruly. He pointed to, when protesters tried to halt an emergency one-day legislative session and to break into the capitol. Some .
鈥淭hat was really a worst-case scenario,鈥� Upkes said. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 (the level) we鈥檙e going to plan to, and then hope that things will be less like that 鈥� where people are breaking and attacking and trying to physically force their way into the capitol and do who-knows-what.鈥�
Oregon lawmakers are set to return for a regular session, which could last up to six months, on Jan. 19. Upkes said it鈥檚 hard to predict how the swirling tensions of local and national politics will play out for law enforcement in and around the Capitol.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so multi-faceted,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to depend on what bills are being presented when they鈥檙e being presented, holidays, weekends, are there still going to be COVID restrictions 鈥� it鈥檚 so dynamic.鈥�
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the kind of the nature of police work,鈥� he added. 鈥淲e have to respond to that unknown, and that鈥檚 still a big unknown.鈥�
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