Damian Lillard Disapproves of Dangerous Behavior at Portland Donald Trump Protests

The city of Portland has been in a state of great turmoil since the polarizing Donald Trump was elected president of the United States on Tuesday. Peaceful protests are one thing, but assault and property damage is another. What could have been a powerful statement by the masses has received negative attention for its devolution and increasingly unsafe climate. After I-5 and I-84 had to be shut down and re-opened over the course of Friday night’s game, Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard voiced his opinion on the matter to Chris Haynes of ESPN.

"I think it's very unfortunate that people have done some of the things they have done during the protest. A lot of harm and damage has been done," Lillard told ESPN on Saturday. "I do understand their frustration, and I commend people wanting to come together for some kind of change. Tearing apart your own city just isn't the place to begin, and also making your own city less of a safe place isn't the answer."

Lillard added that since the majority of Portland voted for democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, inconveniencing fellow Portlanders may be an instance of cutting off the nose to spite the face.

"Portland has been a great place since I've been here and long before, but this type of activity doesn't even seem to fit the description of Portland," Lillard said. "Especially when the majority of the people here voted for Hillary. So if this is an anti-Trump rally, then you're probably harming the people that you side with in most cases. So again I share the same worry, but I don't think this is the solution."

Early Saturday morning, it was reported that one protester had been shot on the Morrison Bridge. Per Haynes, his condition is not considered to be life-threatening. Other major cities to experience more peaceful mass protests include Atlanta, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Miami, and Oakland, among others.