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| - A person was shot dead Saturday in the US city of Portland following clashes between Black Lives Matter protesters and supporters of US President Donald Trump, police said. The Oregon city has been an epicenter of BLM protests since the police killing of unarmed black man George Floyd in Minnesota in late May, and according to local media a "caravan of hundreds of cars" of Trump supporters also converged there on Saturday. Portland police said officers answered reports of gunfire as violence erupted during a political rally involving hundreds of vehicles "caravaning throughout downtown Portland." "They responded and located a victim with a gunshot wound to the chest. Medical responded and determined that the victim was deceased," the force said in a statement. OregonLive reported "clashes" and "tense moments" between demonstrators and counter-protesters, although police did not say whether the shooting was related to the rally. The shooting occurred at around 8:45 pm (0445 GMT Sunday) downtown, police said later in a statement, adding a homicide investigation was under way. Trump spent Sunday morning tweeting and retweeting dozens of posts showing or discussing what was purported to be violence in Democratic-run cities, and especially Portland. He attacked the city's Mayor Ted Wheeler for refusing help from the National Guard, which he said "could solve these problems in less than 1 hour." "Wheeler is incompetent, much like Sleepy Joe Biden," Trump said. "This is not what our great Country wants. They want Safety & Security, and do NOT want to Defund our Police!" Wheeler shared an open letter to Trump on Friday denouncing the president's "politics of division and demagoguery." "Portlanders are onto you. We have already seen your reckless disregard for human life in your bumbling response to the COVID pandemic," he wrote. "And we know you've reached the conclusion that images of violence or vandalism are your only ticket to reelection." Wheeler described the protesters who had been peaceful as part of a "proud progressive tradition" in Portland but condemned violence and vandalism. "There is no place for looting, arson or vandalism in our city. There is no room here for racist violence or those who wish to bring their ideology of hate into our community," he said. bur-ft/bbk
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