A protest through the streets of downtown Oakland, California, in support of racial justice and police reform turned violent when “agitators” among the demonstrators set fire to a courthouse, vandalized a police station and shot fireworks at officers, authorities said.
About 700 demonstrators participated in what started as a peaceful march Saturday night but then some broke from the larger group and smashed windows, spray-painted graffiti and pointed lasers at officers, the Oakland Police Department said on Twitter. Several tweets called for peace and asked organizers to “help us provide safe spaces and safe places for demonstrators.”
Several fires were set in the downtown area, including one at the Alameda County Superior Courthouse that was quickly contained. Police said protesters at one point were “breaking windows and chanting racial slurs at residents.” Photos tweeted by the department showed broken glass and paint splattered on the police headquarters building.
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