The "Last Thursday" event along Northeast Alberta Street was marred by as many as 10 separate fights involving juveniles, the Portland Police Bureau reported Friday.



The event, held monthly in the Vernon and Concordia neighborhoods between 15th and 30th avenues, had problems in July. As a precaution, police had 32 officers, three sergeants and a lieutenant in the area Thursday night, the bureau reported.



Even so, a fight broke out at about 8:15 p.m. between large groups of juveniles, police said.



By the end of the night, nine more fights had broken out.



During one of the fights, a 5-year-old girl was pushed to the ground and suffered a bloody nose, police said.



An additional 14 officers and two sergeants were called to the area to help manage the scene.



While police were reopening Northeast Alberta Street to traffic, juveniles again began fighting at Northeast 21st Avenue and Alberta Street.



Police heard reports that a woman defended herself from the group by using pepper spray, but were unable to identify either the woman or the suspects.



Police arrested two juveniles for disorderly conduct.



--Tom Hallman Jr.

