Tension continues to rise in the US following the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse, with police having urine thrown at them as protesters turned violent in Portland.
Protesters clashed with officers overnight seeing them smash windows as looting and protests erupted.
Just hours after the acquittal, police in Portland were forced to declare a riot after about 200 protesters turned destructive, damaging the front gate of the Multnomah County Justice Center and clashing with officers.
The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office said some demonstrators had thrown urine, water bottles and batteries at police officers.
At about 8:50pm on Friday (local time), around 200 protesters had gathered in downtown Portland and blocked streets.
Just 10 minutes later, windows were broken and doors of city facilities were damaged, according to KOIN TV, but the crowd had dispersed by about 11pm.
"Due to violent, destructive behaviour by a significant part of the crowd, the gathering in downtown Portland is a RIOT," Portland police said on Twitter. "All participants are instructed to proceed away to the WEST.
"A crowd has gathered near SE 2nd Avenue and SE Madison Street and participants have begun breaking windows and damaging doors of city facilities in the area.
"People are throwing objects at police officers in the area."
The Portland Police Bureau said several people were given citations but only one person who had an outstanding warrant from another matter was arrested.
The violent protests come after a jury determined that teenager Rittenhouse acted in self-defence when he shot three people during a chaotic 2020 Black Lives Matter protest in Wisconsin
A 12-member jury found Rittenhouse, 18, not guilty on two counts of homicide, one count of attempted homicide and two counts of recklessly endangering safety during street protests marred by arson, rioting and looting on August 25, 2020, in the working-class city of Kenosha in Wisconsin.
Protests were also seen in New York with hundreds gathered outside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn to express their fury at the verdict.
Protesters marched through New York at about 7pm carrying signs that branded Rittenhouse as a 'racist killer' and the judicial system as biased.
"The message is that when you stand up for black liberation, when you stand up for black lives, no matter who you are you automatically become a target of the system," Na-Lakan Masego, a protester, told CBS New York.
There was a mixed reaction on Saturday following the news the teenager was acquitted.
Justin Blake, the uncle of Black man Jacob Blake who was fatally shot by police last year, told reporters outside the Kenosha County Courthouse Kenosha is a "very racist city".
Former US President Donald Trump gave his two cents saying, "If that’s not self-defence, nothing is"!
"Congratulations to Kyle Rittenhouse for being found INNOCENT of all charges," Trump says.
