Protesters set fires outside the East Precinct on Capitol Hill Thursday night, then started launching fireworks at the building until police moved in to clear the streets.
The demonstration had been peaceful through much of the evening. A crowd of about 150 people or more marched out of Cal Anderson Park and wove through the surrounding neighborhoods, calling on residents to leave their homes and join them in the streets. They chanted Breonna Taylor’s name, and shared their anger that the officers who shot and killed her will not face criminal charges. The only vandalism was some graffiti scrawled onto buildings.
That rolling demonstration continued for about an hour until the crowd made its way back to the police station near Cal Anderson Park. That’s when people started throwing things against the building.
Trash cans and rubbish were piled up and set on fire. Protesters then started igniting fireworks. Police could be heard on a public address system ordering the crowd to disperse, then a line of bicycle officers charged in, followed by officers on foot in riot gear.