Major cities on the West Coast were among those who saw riots and protests on Saturday night, while protesters marked the one-year anniversary of Breonna Taylor’s death in a police operation in Louisville, Kentucky.
Los Angeles, Seattle and Portland saw clashes between crowds and the police, with several arrests reported.
In Los Angeles, some protesters smashed store windows and threw stones at police officers in Hollywood.
Social media videos showed police officers with riot gear near the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street near the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A social media video showed a protester jumping in a police vehicle as she drove away.
At least one police officer was injured in the clashes, the police said, according to a report broadcast on KNBC-TV in Los Angeles. The condition of the officer was not reported.
It was not clear whether any protesters were injured.
BREONNA TAYLOR ‘ARMADO’ PROTESTATORS PROMPT THE POLICE OF LOUISVILLE TO DECLARE ‘ILLEGAL ASSEMBLY’
Bed Bath and Beyond, a CVS pharmacy and an Asian restaurant were among businesses vandalized by rioters, according to KNBC and social media videos.
The police did not immediately report whether any demonstrators were arrested.
Earlier, hundreds of protesters marched and celebrated Taylor’s life peacefully in Hollywood and other parts of the city.
Seattle
In Seattle, videos posted on social media earlier Sunday showed the police moving aggressively against protesters.
In one video, police on bicycles are seen making arrests, while another video shows police in a van following a group of protesters.
Earlier, a violent confrontation broke out when the police used pepper spray while advancing against the crowd.
A downtown Starbucks store was seen with broken windows and spray-painted messages outside.
Police were also monitoring a group that they believed was dragging construction signs and other items into the street in an apparent attempt to block vehicles.
The Seattle Police Department tweeted at about 4 am on Saturday morning, Eastern Time, that they made 13 arrests.
Portland
In Portland, a federal court in the center of town appeared to be the main staging area for another confrontation with the authorities.
Just the night before, the police had made 13 arrests and “stunned” about 100 protesters before allowing them to leave one by one, according to reports.
Last week’s protests in front of the court came shortly after authorities removed a barrier that was installed outside the building.
On Saturday night and Sunday morning, new messages were seen spray-painted outside the courtroom, including: “The police are murderers”.
Taylor, who was black, was killed on March 13, 2020, when a group of police officers from the Louisville Metro Police Department entered her apartment in a raid-free operation.
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Taylor’s boyfriend shot the cops, thinking they were thieves, he later told the police, and the cops responded. Taylor was shot and killed by police in the crossfire.
The police later said that they had announced their presence in the apartment. No drugs were found inside.
Taylor’s family and their supporters are seeking prosecution from city police officers who participated in the operation that led to Taylor’s death. Three policemen were fired and a detective was accused of allegedly shooting adjacent apartments during the operation, but none were charged in connection with Taylor’s death.
Kentucky officials emphasize that their investigation continues.
There were also protests and celebrations of his life in Louisville on Saturday.
“The eyes are on Louisville, Kentucky today, so let’s show America what the community is like,” Taylor’s aunt Bianca Austin told a group in the city on Saturday, KABC-TV in Los Angeles reported.