Sunday night protest in downtown Olympia results in 13 misdemeanor and felony arrests
.jpeg "Protesters and Olympia police face off near City Hall about 10 p.m. Sunday. Protesters kneeled with their hands up, chanting and swearing at police.")
A Sunday night protest in downtown Olympia that spilled into Monday turned violent after protesters threw rocks and bottles at police, and police used flash bangs and pepper balls to disperse the crowd.
Thirteen people were arrested, including 11 for misdemeanor violations of vandalism and disorderly conduct, Lt. Paul Lower said Monday. Two men were arrested on suspicion of third-degree assault, he said.
About 5 p.m. Sunday, about 30 protesters began to block streets in downtown Olympia and pulled items such as planter boxes into the street to block traffic.
About 8 p.m., the group, which had grown to 70-80 people, headed to City Hall. There two people picked up what Lower described as a “boulder,” and then tossed it against the City Hall doors, breaking glass.
The Olympia police riot squad responded, then dodged bottles, rocks and chunks of asphalt that were thrown at them, he said. Lower said three officers were struck by rocks.
It was not immediately clear if protesters or bystanders were injured during the protest.
The protesters were spurred by the death of George Floyd, an African-American man who died last week in Minnesota at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer, who has since been charged with murder. The Olympia protesters carried Black Lives Matter signs and chanted anti-police slogans.
Olympia firefighters extinguished a small brush fire about 12:50 a.m. Monday in the 700 block of Legion Way SE, Assistant Chief Mike Buchanan said.
The protest finally dispersed about 1 a.m., Lower said. There also were reports from downtown business owners about objects being thrown at buildings and “lots of graffiti,” he said.
Floyd’s death has triggered protests throughout the country, including in Seattle and Bellevue over the weekend where protesters blocked Interstate 5, lit cars on fire, and marched through downtown.
A Saturday evening vigil in downtown Olympia to remember Floyd had remained peaceful.
This story was originally published June 1, 2020 at 9:31 AM.
