Do thugs in Portland Oregon have the legal power to block and direct traffic?

I don't think so and I'm glad I don't live there. Even if it happened in my state, NC, I would avoid those areas. 

I remember back in '78, there was a bad storm in town, wires and trees were down. Myself and a friend helped people find a way to get where they needed to go. We were scruffy looking dudes in a bad neighborhood. We even helped some people who needed to get to the hospital.