Portland’s mayor and police chief Monday vowed to pursue and punish protesters who broke windows and threw flares into the Oregon Historical Society, toppled statues of two celebrated U.S. presidents and fired gunshots into a restaurant during a downtown riot the previous night.
But the culprits may prove difficult to identify let alone capture.
After months of demonstrations punctuated by violent clashes or vandalism, many of the city’s most militant protesters remain largely elusive or unknown.
Calls to action by often anonymous organizers spread rapidly among left-wing activists on social media and can come together in a matter of hours.
Some participants will then take steps to shield their identities during marches or demonstrations that — while leaderless in appearance — can have a specific goal and the tools to carry it out…
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