Several Portland Teenagers Face Federal Charges for Violent Demonstrations

• Four teenagers have been charged with crimes related to sometimes violent protests at the federal courthouse in Portland, according to the Department of Justice announcements.
• The federal courthouse has been the subject of violent demonstrations since general protests began in May, according to Daily Caller reporters on the scene.
• The four teenagers face charges ranging from arson and assault to trespassing, according to the Justice Department.

Four teenagers face federal charges ranging from arson to assault during recurring violent protests and clashes with law enforcement near the Portland federal courthouse.

Protests at the courthouse began before President Donald Trump sent federal officers to the city, according to local media reports. More than two dozen people have been arrested in connection to the violent demonstrations after federal officers were sent to Portland, according to journalist Andy Ngo who listed a number of arrests in a Twitter thread.

Among those arrested were 18-year-old men Isaiah Jason Maza Jr., Gabriel Agard-Berryhill and Wyatt Ash-Milby, and 19-year-old Rowan Olsen, according to Department of Justice announcements.

Portland police declared an “unlawful assembly” Monday night, according to a Portland Police Twitter post. Violent protesters have targeted the federal courthouse and have clashed with law enforcement on many nights since protests began in May, according to Daily Caller reporters on the scene.

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Isaiah Jason Maza Jr.

Maza was arrested July 31 for allegedly setting off an explosive that injured a U.S. Marshal on July 22 at the Mark O’Hatfield U.S. Courthouse, according to a Department of Justice press release. Maza has been charged for assault and purposefully damaging government property.

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Gabriel Agard-Berryhill

Agard-Berryhill faces an alleged arson charge, according to a Justice Department press release. The 18-year-old was captured on social media and videos wearing a green vest while throwing an incendiary device that sparked a fire at federal courthouse July 28. Agard-Berryhill was released and awaits his trial, according to the press release.

Agard-Berryhill was later identified using social media posts, including one that shared a screenshot of a product review of a vest matching the one Agard-Berryhill wore, according to the DOJ press release.

“I got this [vest] for my grandson who’s a protestor [sic] downtown, he uses it every night and says its [sic] does the job,” the product review read, according to the press release. Investigators positively identified Agard-Berryhill using a Facebook post, according to the Justice Department.

“The violent opportunists engaged in dangerous acts of violence, such as arson, need to realize there will be grave consequences,” U.S. Marshal Russel Burger of the District of Oregon said, according to the DOJ press release.

“Serious crimes of this nature go beyond mere property damage to the courthouse and endanger people’s lives,” Burger said.

Wyatt Ash-Milby

Ash-Milby was arrested for “trespassing on federal property” around July 20 and 21, another Justice Department statement said. The 18-year-old was arrested and charged with 17 others in connection with the violent demonstrations. All 18 people, including Ash-Milby, were released after initially appearing in court until further court action.

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Rowan Olsen

Federal Protective Service officers arrested 19-year-old Olsen on July 3 for allegedly damaging government property, according to a DOJ press release. Olsen faces three charges: “disorderly conduct, creating a hazard on federal property and failing to obey a lawful order,” according to a July 7 DOJ press release.

“The lawless and violent acts of extremists across the political spectrum cannot continue. Violence directed at federal, state, and local law enforcement and property destruction is inconsistent with the aims of social justice,” U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams said, according to the July 3 press release.

“These are criminal acts and individuals who engage in them will be held accountable,” Williams said.

Protesters calling for police reform and racial equality have been demonstrating since George Floyd’s death on May 25. Floyd, a black man, died in police custody after now-fired Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, according to video footage of the incident.