Protesters took to the streets in Portland on Wednesday night in a march immediately after the first outcome of the presidential election had been announced.

Some protesters smashed windows of local businesses, the local officials said.

The National Guard was activated by the governor for the first time in Portland to assist local and state police.

“Widespread violence is occurring in Downtown Portland. In the interest of public safety, Governor Kate Brown, under advice of the Unified Command, has activated the use of the Oregon National Guard to assist local law enforcement. Oregon National Guard members are civilian community members helping to protect us. We don’t take this decision lightly. Under the Governor’s Order, we continue to work together and share our resources and information to address any public safety concerns. Our goal is to keep our community safe. We encourage demonstrators to gather peacefully,” said Multnomah County Sheriff's Office, which is acting as a unified command with the Oregon State Police and the Portland Police Bureau.

Oregon National Guard is a federally mandated and equipped military organization under the civilian direction of the Oregon Military Department, with the Governor of Oregon as its Commander-in-Chief.

It responds to state and national emergencies, military conflicts and natural disasters, and conducts search and rescue operations. While the history of the militia dates back to the establishment of the first Oregon militia in 1843, the present Guard was not established until after 1903. The modern Guard includes citizen soldiers, and its motto is "When we are needed, we are there."

The Oregon Army National Guard consists of 41 armories in 33 communities. (ILKHA)