Anti-police protesters clashed with officers outside the Denver Police Department’s (DPD) headquarters on Saturday.
Police deployed chemical agents to control the group before multiple individuals were arrested, according to CBS Denver.
“Protesters at the ‘Give ‘Em Hell’ event are calling for police to be abolished,” the report said.
Some of the rioters broke windows and set two fires which were quickly extinguished.
A flyer reportedly circulating on Reddit advertised the event and encouraged protesters to “Bring Your Gear,” according to KDVR.
The flyer read:
Our City Has Failed. Jared Polis, Michael Hancock, Murphy Robinson, Amanda Sandoval, Kevin Flynn, Jolon Clark, Debbie Ortega, Stacie Gilmore, Kendra Black, Robin Kniech, Amanda Sawyer, Paul Kushmann…
Have Refused to Address Our Demands to Abolish DPD. City Council Just Blocked a Bill to Allow Denver Residents to Vote to Replace the Police with a Peace Force.
At one point during the event, a van pulled up and handed out shields to the group, according to reporter Marc Sallinger:
In a subsequent tweet, Sallinger shared video of a resident confronting a rioter who smashed a window with a small axe:
Sallinger also caught the moment protesters fired fireworks at officers:
A rioter broke the window of a Quizno’s restaurant:
Journalist Evan Kruegel shared video of the protesters trying to tear down a chainlink fence protecting the state Capitol building:
Nine people were arrested following the riot and one officer was injured, but it was unclear how serious the injuries were, according to 9News.
In addition, the outlet estimated that the group numbered about 75 to 100 people.
Around midnight, Sallinger tweeted video footage of the Quizno’s restaurant owners cleaning up the broken glass:
Sunday morning, Sallinger tweeted photos of the aftermath which included “Defund the Police” graffiti:
The flyer for the protest “calls out government officials for vetoing a bill that would have allowed Denver residents to vote on defunding the police and putting a Peace Force in place,” the KDVR article stated.
“The demonstration says the city has failed and refused to address their demands about defunding the DPD,” it concluded.
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