It's spreading: Leftists riot in Atlanta, Richmond, other US cities in solidarity with Portland militants

As the profile grows for lawless, left-wing rioters in Portland, Oregon, and their nightly attacks on law enforcement, their comrades across the United States are beginning to follow suit and perpetrate violence and mayhem in other cities.

What are the details?

Seattle, of course, has been a hotbed of leftism and is well known as the city that allowed the deadly "CHOP" autonomous zone to exist for several weeks following the death of George Floyd. But anarchy and destruction have resumed in the Emerald City — although not without detractors making their voices heard, too.

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In Austin, Texas, a driver told police he shot a Black Lives Matter protester Saturday who pointed at weapon at him. That protester, Garrett Foster, died of multiple gunshot wounds.

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Violent uprisings are hitting other cities, too.

Richmond

More than 20 people were arrested after a weekend of rioting in Richmond, Virginia, that included fires and smashed windows, the Associated Press reported.

Some participants said the lawlessness was in support of Portland rioters — it had even been billed as "Richmond Stands with Portland" — and Richmond Police Chief Gerald Smith noted his department saw a flyer calling for demonstrations with a tone of "intimidation" and "wanting to produce fear," the AP reported.

Smith said the ages of those arrested ranged from 17 to 45 and charges included trespassing, riot with a dangerous weapon, and transport of a loaded rifle within city limits, the outlet said.

"The city of Richmond is open and welcomes those who would like to come here in expression of their First Amendment rights," Smith said, according to the AP. "However, we have to take action when we know that violence is coming."

Atlanta

Rioters vandalized an immigration building in Atlanta over the weekend, leaving broken windows, spray paint, and scorch marks courtesy of fireworks, WXIA-TV reported.

The building houses the federal immigration court as well as the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the station said.

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Several videos were posted online by at least one group, using the twitter handle @AcidVitalism, was claiming the vandalism was "in solidarity with the freedom fighters of the #PortlandProtests."

The hashtags #PortlandProtests and #PortlandSolidarity have been used online in reference to the protests against federal law enforcement in recent days in Portland, Oregon.

Additional posts from the group later in the day on Sunday also indicated solidarity with recent demonstrations in other cities, including Seattle, Oakland and Austin.

The group claiming responsibility told the station Sunday the incident was organized with an encrypted app group chat.

"In solidarity with Portland last night, a crowd gathered in Atlanta outside the DHS/ICE office. These agencies are directly responsible for ruining untold numbers of lives, and for the violent policing of the Portland protests," an email from the group said, in part, according to WXIA. "We will fight with everything we've got against [President Donald] Trump's private police force, against authoritarian and despotic governance. What the police produce, above all, are their own grave-diggers. Their fall and the victory of the ungovernable are equally inevitable."