Update: As of 6:30 p.m., Eugene Police Department had declared an active riot and was repeating a message ordering the protesters in the courtyard to disperse or risk arrest. EPD said in a press release that some protesters had “breached” the building and gone inside. Police said they were trying to de-escalate the situation.

Protesters lined the streets around the federal building in downtown Eugene on Friday, holding signs and chanting to express opposition to federal immigration enforcement.

Among the participants in the first hour of the demonstration was Vivian Kelly, a disabled nurse who was doing beadwork while protesting.

“This is not a protest against Democrats or Republicans,” Kelly said. “This is a protest against right and wrong.”

The federal building has been the site of near-daily protests for several weeks, including one on Tuesday that resulted in several participants being detained by federal agents, who used tear gas and pepper spray to disperse the crowd.

By late afternoon Friday, protesters had pushed up against the building, banging on doors and windows, and spraying graffiti on the walls.

The demonstration comes as part of a nationwide “general strike” called by people critical of federal agencies, including ICE.

Separately, a protest at Springfield’s City Hall earlier in the afternoon drew hundreds of people before participants left on a “car caravan” around the two cities, ending at the Lane Events Center in Eugene.

There was a tense moment at that event when several armed counter-protesters showed up, prompting jeers and confrontations with people attending the rally. A KLCC reporter on the scene said the situation was defused as one protester and one of the armed men eventually engaged in a calm conversation.

Nathan Wilk and Zac Ziegler are reporters with KLCC. This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.

It is part of OPB’s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs, entertains and enriches their lives. To learn more, visit our journalism partnerships page.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/01/30/eugene-protest-general-strike-riot/