Police intercept Portland Antifa before they could burn down occupied apartment building

On the eve of Election Day, a crowd of militant Antifa smashed buildings at Portland State University and took steps to set a cafe on fire that was connected to a large occupied apartment building.

Approximately 100 Black Lives Matter-Antifa activists gathered in downtown for a “direct action” organized through social media before wreaking havoc on multiple buildings at PSU at a declared unlawful assembly. They then smashed the windows of a campus Starbucks and proceeded to dump a flammable liquid inside, according to the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office.

“F— corporations. F— your windows, you pieces of sh—!” a rioter shouted after the windows of the Starbucks were shattered. Responding law enforcement dispersed the rioters before they were able to start a fire, interrupting a potential arson attack that could have been deadly. The cafe is on the ground floor of an occupied apartment building that houses students and families.

By the end of the night, officers only made two arrests. They seized riot-related weapons and tools including a tire iron, body armor and gas masks.

Kai-Avé James Douvia, a 22-year-old recent graduate of Washington State University, was charged with felony first-degree criminal mischief, felony second-degree burglar and second-degree disorderly conduct. He has been a regular fixture at far-left demonstrations in Portland. He was previously arrested at another BLM-Antifa riot in June. All charges related to that arrest were dropped.

25-year-old Connor Austin was also arrested and charged with interfering with a peace officer.

Both men were quickly released without bail.

At the violent protest the night before Election Day, video recording was banned. Masked militants confronted media. “If you want to be a journalist, don't film the protestors,” one protester told a press crew.

In anticipation of election-related unrest in Portland, Oregon Governor Kate Brown issued an executive order placing the city of Portland under a command structure headed by the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office and Oregon State Police. In addition, the National Guard has been placed on standby.

Various Antifa groups and the Democratic Socialists of America have announced plans to gather in a part of downtown the day after the election. Since last week, violent protests in the Portland-area have resumed after the police-involved killing of an armed black male in nearby Vancouver, Wash.