CHICAGO — Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot praised city police Sunday for “fairly quickly’’ settling weekend protests that devolved into violent skirmishes while activists and other elected officials blasted police for unnecessary aggressive tactics.
The day of demonstrations against police brutality started peacefully Saturday with a march around noon. Later, a separate demonstration near downtown resulted in two dozen arrests, 17 injured officers, and at least two injured protesters. None of the injuries was believed to be life-threatening.
Lightfoot told CBS’s “Face the Nation’’ on Sunday that agitators ‘‘have embedded themselves in these seemingly peaceful protests and come for a fight’’ though the clashes were “over very fairly quickly because our Police Department is resolved to make sure that we protect peaceful protests.’’
Chicago Police Department Superintendent David Brown said that some in the group used black umbrellas to make it harder for police to see them, pushed officers, and assaulted them. In one video released by Chicago police, a person swinging a skateboard strikes an officer.
At the same time, activist groups and some elected officials called out police for using aggressive tactics, including spraying the crowd with a chemical irritant and striking protesters with batons.
“The march was peaceful until CPD and other law enforcement agencies began an all-out assault on protesters,’’ said a Sunday statement from youth activist group Increase The Peace.
Several Chicago Democrats questioned using department money on such a response to protesters in a city that has had a lower homicide case clearance rate than other big cities.
Associated Press
Chief: Protesters vandalized Minneapolis police precinct
MINNEAPOLIS — Protesters have vandalized a Minneapolis police precinct office and targeted officers with fireworks, the police chief said Sunday.
Chief Medaria Arradondo said demonstrators marched to the 5th Precinct on Saturday night and vandalized the exterior of the building and also targeted officers with “commercial grade fireworks.’’
“This unlawful and senseless behavior will not be tolerated. Acts such as these do absolutely nothing to constructively engage and activate true and real needed reforms,’’ Arradondo said in a statement.
He said those who hijack peaceful protests “will be prosecuted to the full extent lawfully.’’
Images provided by the Minneapolis Police Department show red paint splattered on the sidewalk and graffiti such as “Blood on your hands’’ spray-painted on the building.
Police spokesman John Elder said Sunday that no officers were hurt and no one has been arrested.
Associated Press
Mayor has ‘serious concerns’ about protest arrest tactics
PITTSBURGH — Mayor Bill Peduto says he has “serious concerns’’ about the tactics used in the arrest of a protester during a march Saturday that drew condemnation from the American Civil Liberties Union and others.
Pittsburgh Public Safety officials said they were trying to protect the public when plainclothes officers arrested a protester at about 5 p.m. Saturday in the city and placed the person in an unmarked, white van.
Public Safety officials said the person had repeatedly refused to work with police and was blocking intersections needed for people to get to hospitals and for students moving into the University of Pittsburgh. The march of about 150 people started about an hour and 45 minutes before the arrest, they said.
Commander Ed Trapp of the Special Deployment Division said the man was stepping in front of cars and directing vehicles “with no situational awareness’’ and feared he would direct cars into other vehicles or pedestrians. Trapp said officials decided on a “low-visibility’’ arrest to avoid gathering a crowd and have the situation escalate.
“The idea was a surgical maneuver to remove the person that was the problem and allow the main protest march to continue, which it in fact did,’’ he said.
Peduto said he had “serious concerns’’ about the tactics used and would work with public safety leaders on whether and when such things should be done.
“That imagery, what people saw, scared them because they don’t believe that’s part of what Pittsburgh is,’’ Peduto said. “They saw officers getting somebody and throwing them into a van, and they ask ‘Why?’ and they’re right to ask ‘Why?’’
Public safety officials said that they were committed to assuring the rights of people to express their opinion, but that the protests had become increasingly unsafe in recent weeks and protest organizers had refused to cooperate with police on their planned routes and intentions.
Associated Press
Portland police declare riot, push demonstrators outside
PORTLAND, Ore. — A riot was declared in Oregon’s biggest city as protesters demonstrated outside a law enforcement building early Sunday, continuing a nightly ritual in Portland.
Officers used crowd control munitions to disperse the gathering outside the Penumbra Kelly building. Protesters had thrown “softball size’’ rocks, glass bottles, and other objects at officers, police said on Twitter. The department also said security cameras had been spray painted and other vandalism occurred.
The actions came after what started as a peaceful protest, with demonstrators chanting “take it to the streets!’’
Saturday afternoon, a rally by a small group of far-right demonstrators quickly devolved as they traded paint balls and pepper spray with counterprotesters. About 30 people were participating in the Patriot Prayer rally in front of the Multnomah County Justice Center.
Associated Press