PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Portland police are preparing for a possible clash with demonstrators Saturday as a midnight deadline looms for the Occupy Portland movement to clear out of two downtown parks.
Demonstration organizers have pleaded for peace and said anyone who acts violently does not represent the movement. But police said they have information indicating an extremist element may be planning a confrontation. Officers seized pieces of cement and plywood on Friday, saying they were told some demonstrators had plans to use the cement as a weapon. A demonstrator denied the claim.
After more than a month of camping, some demonstrators began cleaning up and packing in Friday, vowing to continue their movement elsewhere.
Organizers planned marches to converge on the encampment followed by a potluck, and they hope the public will come.
