A black man holding only an American flag tried to stop a crowd from breaking into the Federal Courthouse in Portland during widespread unrest in the city Saturday. The vandalized building was surrounded by hundreds of protesters, most dressed in black while sporting protective gear, and almost exclusively white.

“If you stand for justice come here and stand with me! Stand with me because I’m not here to tear down this f***ing fence, I’m not here to spray paint. It’s going on every day!” the man shouted into the crowd. He placed himself directly between the crowd and the opening to the justice building.

“If you don’t want to get gassed, stop! If you don’t want to get gassed, stop! It has to stop! This is not peaceful. None of you guys represent black lives! Sit and protest. Sit and protest.”

As he spoke, a handful of protesters appeared to join him. Most, however, instead hurled obscenities, and shouted that property destruction wasn’t violence. A video of the entire event was captured by reporter Jorge Ventura, of the Daily Caller.

A man with an American flag ask why the mob is ripping down the fence in front of the Federal Courthouse #Portland pic.twitter.com/XP5QZtLTRO

— Jorge Ventura Media (@VenturaReport) July 19, 2020

Ultimately, the man was not able to protect the justice building. Later that night, the fencing protecting the courthouse was torn down and the building was attacked with sledgehammers made of broken protective barriers as rioters occupied the area. His prediction regarding how it would end, however, proved to be true later that night. As the violence continued, police arrived to disperse the protesters. Clashes broke out between the groups, with tear gas and flash bangs used.

The same night, the city’s police union was set ablaze by protesters.

Sunday night, hundreds of protesters again occupied the area, tore down fencing, and started fires inside the property. They were again dispersed with tear gas, pepper balls, and flash bangs.

And the fences are coming down in #Portland in front of the Federal Courthouse pic.twitter.com/LjBmFkdUEj

— Jorge Ventura Media (@VenturaReport) July 20, 2020

Pepper balls fired, flashbang and tear gas deployed on crowd #Portland . Federal officers have cleared the crowd that in front of the Federal Courthouse pic.twitter.com/GlCicPkSBS

— Jorge Ventura Media (@VenturaReport) July 20, 2020

The unrest in Portland has continued for 52 nights in a row, and shows no signs of slowing.