WATCH: Police interrupt ‘possible arson attempt’ at Portland Starbucks, as protesters promise ‘good show’ on election night

Police interrupted a “possible arson attempt” at a Starbucks on the ground floor of an apartment building in Portland. Protesters then threatened to spit at responding officers and vowed more violence to come on election night.

According to police, a group of some 100 protesters smashed up windows at the Portland State University, breaking windows to the Public Safety Office reception area before attacking several other buildings on campus and finally turning their attention to a Starbucks on the ground floor of an apartment building. 

Officers from the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Portland Police Bureau, and Oregon State Police declared a riot and cleared the area, interrupting what they described as a “possible arson attempt.”

Responding officers discovered flammable liquid spread throughout the cafe, which was graffitied with ‘BLM’ and ‘ACAB,’ and made at least two arrests. During their operations, they seized a tire iron, dumbbell, body armor, gas masks, and umbrella.

Eyewitness footage shared online purports to show a group of irate protesters confronting police officers and threatening to spit in their faces.

Elsewhere, footage of purported protesters appears to show one of the group promising more violence to come on Tuesday night.

The violence comes on the eve of the US presidential election, as businesses have been boarding up their windows across the country in recent days in anticipation of widespread post-election street violence, regardless of the outcome. 

On Monday, Governor Kate Brown issued an executive order granting state authorities jurisdiction in Portland, effectively overruling a recent ban on the use of tear gas, while also putting National Guard forces on standby.

Meanwhile, federal officers have been issued a court order to operate only within a one-block radius of the Federal Courthouse in Portland.

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