UPDATE (11/10/11): Police arrested David J. Hodson at the Occupy Portland camp on suspicion of responsibility for the attack.
from the bourgeois press:
Police said a Molotov cocktail was set off in an exterior stairwell at the World Trade Center in downtown Portland tonight, and they believe protesters at Occupy Portland might be responsible.
Someone called 9-1-1 to report the incident about 9:10 p.m., said Lt. Robert King, a spokesman for the Portland Police Bureau. No one was hurt, but a fire caused some damage to the stairs, which are between two escalators.
“We’re very fortunate that a larger fire didn’t occur. These devices are completely unpredictable and destructive — we’re very fortunate that no one was injured,” King said.
Police have been investigating reports since Oct. 31 that a person or group of people at the downtown Occupy Portland encampment has been making or storing Molotov cocktails, King said. Detectives didn’t release the information to protect their investigation.
But preliminary information received tonight suggested there was a link between the camp and the makeshift bomb thrown at the World Trade Center, King said.
Portland police Chief Mike Reese has been notified, and King said Reese was going to inform Mayor Sam Adams of the incident.
“Molotov cocktails just present this really clear danger to anybody and everybody,” King said. “We’re obviously taking this very seriously.”
