Authorities in Portland claim that the city has lost more than $23 million because of the protests that are still taking place in the city right now. Portland Police Bureau Deputy Chief Chris Davis revealed to reporters that the length, violence, and intensity of the protests have no counterpart in the history of the city. That is probably the reason why they were caught off guard by the violence of the protests.

“It is really unprecedented in Portland’s history. We are now in our sixth week of these events, and we’re always hopeful that we’re winding down. We’ve never seen this intensity of violent, focused criminal activity over this long of a period of time,” Davis said.

Protests have taken place for 41 nights after the death of George Floyd, an African American man with a long record of criminal history who died while he was being arrested by police officers in Minneapolis. The incident drew the outrage of people all over the world and has sparked protests. In Portland, much of the protesting centered around rioting, looting, and the destruction of federal property. Authorities in the city have tried to tackle the protests and tear gas but to no avail. The result is that the downtown part of the city has seen most of its businesses suffering. With the effect of the pandemic taking its toll, few businesses will be likely to recover fully.

Many cities are also facing a similar dilemma all over the country. The most notable of which is Seattle. The city was the site of the controversial Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone or CHAZ where several individuals have been killed. The mayor of Seattle refused to order her police force to move in and drive away the protestors. She refused to give the order even after there were several incidents of shootings. The only time that she moved against the protests was when her own home was threatened. Seattle is also bound to suffer from all the lost businesses because of the riots.