For the second night in a row, demonstrations to protest the grand jury decisions not to indict the police officers who fatally shot Eric Garner and Michael Brown Jr. turned unruly, as California police clashed with protesters.
Police say demonstrators threw “concrete objects” and attempted to set a police cruiser on fire during a protest that involved as many as 500 people marching from Berkeley toward Oakland. Though the majority of the protesters remained peaceful — chanting “Turn it up, don’t turn it down. Shut it down for Michael Brown,” and “I can’t breathe” as they shut down the streets — police used tear gas to disperse the crowd.
The department tweeted this picture of the “concrete objects” they claim protesters hurled their way.
Two of the concrete objects thrown at officers. pic.twitter.com/tdsjkhoals
— CHP Golden Gate (@CHP_GoldenGate) December 8, 2014
Police also say an “explosive” was thrown at officers during the demonstration, which splintered into smaller groups as the night went on.
According to NBC, a small number of protesters resorted to vandalism, smashing store fronts and lighting trash cans on fire.
The march began at the University of California, Berkeley, at about 5 p.m. local time (8 p.m. ET). Chancellor Nick Dirks called on students and staff to “help maintain calm on and around the campus.” Dirks said he hoped that “the anger expressed last night will, in the days ahead, be channeled into constructive, nonviolent action.”
As hundreds of protesters began marching through downtown Berkeley, the unrest that marked protests Saturday night was touched off again as someone smashed the window of a Radio Shack. When a protester tried to stop growing vandalism, he was hit with a hammer, Officer Jennifer Coats said.
Police said groups of protesters late Sunday began roaming through the downtown area, throwing trash cans into streets and lighting garbage on fire, smashing windows on buildings, and damaging and looting businesses. There also were reports of vandalism at City Hall.
It is unclear how many people were arrested Sunday night, but six people were arrested Saturday night when protests turned unruly. Three officers and a technician were also hurt Saturday night.
We’ll keep you updated with the latest in the protests planned to combat police violence nationwide.
SOURCE: NBC | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty | VIDEO SOURCE: News Inc.
