A group of hooded and masked people broke dozens of windows and spray painted anti-government graffiti on the Multnomah County Elections building in what Portland police called an “orchestrated attack.”
The attack occurred just before 2 a.m. on Monday. The suspects ran away when police arrived at the office, which was empty at that time, according to the police.
Portland Police Chief Bob Day told reporters at a press meeting that it looked like a planned attack on this building. There are around eight to ten people. They were there for about two minutes. They arrived with a plan and left just as quickly after causing harm.
He said the graffiti was against the elite and the government.
“We’re not saying this is directly connected to the inauguration,” he said about President Donald Trump’s swearing in as the 47th president of the United States on Monday. “Remember, these kinds of attacks have happened no matter who is in charge.”
As of Tuesday morning, police had not arrested anyone, but they were sharing surveillance video and asking anyone with knowledge to reach out to them.
In a film, around eight people in gray hoodies and face masks come up, take spray paint cans out of their backpacks, and spray paint on a building. People are hitting the windows with plastic bags that seem to hold heavy items, breaking the glass.
In another film, four people dressed alike walk up to the outside of the building. Three people had trash bags, and a fourth person had a hammer. They walk down the path, breaking windows one after another, then run back down the street.
The broken windows were covered up by 9 a.m. on Monday, and the office was open for regular business on Tuesday, according to Denis Theriault from the Multnomah County Communications Office in an email.
Elections Director Tim Scott told the AP in an email, “I’ve been with Multnomah County for 17 years, and nothing like this has happened before.” A worker has been hired to measure the windows, and he hopes to replace them by next week.
The county’s security team is collaborating with the Portland Police to look into the matter, according to officials.
The cops are still looking into an attack on a ballot box that happened in October. A fire bomb was used, destroying votes about a week before Election Day. The early morning fire was put out quickly because of a fire control system inside the box. Two more fires in vote boxes in Vancouver, Washington, damaged hundreds of ballots in the 2024 election.
According to the FBI, the devices were made from a dangerous combination of thermite and scrap metal.
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