A “campaign of widespread violence” by the Portland Police Bureau violated thousands of protesters’ constitutional rights during the city’s 2020 racial justice demonstrations, according to a motion seeking class action certification filed Wednesday in federal court on behalf of protesters.
The first lawsuit against Portland police officers for their treatment of protesters in 2020 has reached its day in court. The case comes from Erin Wenzel, a care coordinator at Oregon Health and Science University who attended a racial justice protest with her husband on August 14, 2020. Wenzel, who lives in Beaverton, attended the North Portland protest as a volunteer medic, bringing first aid supplies to help any injured demonstrators. She identified this role.
Despite recent news reports tying Salem police to training that incorporated a meme encouraging violence towards protestors and tied to the alt-right, local police leaders say no staff was involved in the development or presentation of the image.