MASSIVE anti-Trump protests descended into chaos in several US cities on Saturday after crowds packed the streets and federal officers moved in with tear gas and arrests.
“No Kings” rallies in Los Angeles, Portland, and Denver turned volatile as agitators squared off with authorities and police ordered people to disperse.
At least 13 arrests were confirmed in Portland, Denver and Dallas alone, while Los Angeles also reported multiple arrests after officers declared a tactical alert.
Some of the worst scenes unfolded in Los Angeles, where a huge daytime march later boiled over outside the Metropolitan Detention Center.
Police said agitators tried to tear down a chain-link fence and hurled objects toward federal officers guarding the site.
Federal authorities fired tear gas as the crowd refused repeated warnings to back away.
The LAPD then placed the city on tactical alert as the confrontation spiraled.
Officers in riot gear formed skirmish lines as more than a dozen people were seen handcuffed against a wall, according to local footage.
Video showed a man being tackled by federal agents during the melee.
Another video showed several agitators throwing objects over the fence.
Around 5.30pm, officers began confiscating items from the crowd and using tear gas to bring the scene under control.
Police later declared an unlawful assembly after protesters began throwing rocks, bottles and concrete at federal officers.
Among those taken into custody was a woman dressed as Lady Liberty.
The unrest in LA followed what had started as a massive protest that drew tens of thousands to downtown earlier in the day.
Portland also turned ugly after the main rallies ended, when demonstrators gathered outside the city’s ICE facility and the crowd turned violent.
Police said protesters were involved in assault and criminal mischief before officers moved in.
By late Saturday, Portland police had announced three arrests.
Denver recorded the biggest confirmed arrest count of the day after a smaller group broke away from an otherwise peaceful protest.
Police said that group blocked a road where officers were staged, prompting an unlawful assembly declaration.
Smoke was deployed, pepper balls were fired and nine people were arrested after a smoke canister was allegedly thrown back at officers.
In Dallas, officers were forced to separate “No Kings” demonstrators from “Pro America” counterprotesters after tempers flared downtown.
At least one protester was arrested there as the two sides clashed.
Tense moments were also captured outside Trump National Golf Course in Rancho Palos Verdes, where two men nearly came to blows during a shouting match.
A counter protester wearing a shirt that said “DEPORT WHITE LIBERAL WOMEN” screamed face-to-face with a “No Kings” protester as others shouted, “Racist go home!”
Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/16151592/chaos-erupts-no-kings-rallies-arrests-tear-gas-la/
