California Sees 2nd Night of Unrest as Protesters and Cops Clash

Berkeley, Calif., protests got out of hand once again on Sunday, marking the second straight night of unrest as demonstrators stood up against police brutality, sparked by recent events in Ferguson, Mo., and New York City, the Associated Press reports.

According to the report, Sunday’s protest was initially calm and peaceful as it began at the University of California, Berkeley campus. After protesters reached Oakland, things began to escalate as activists blocked traffic on a freeway.

AP notes that the California Highway Patrol acknowledged that officers started deploying tear gas after protesters reportedly threw rocks and bottles at them and attempted to light one of the patrol’s vehicles on fire. Explosives were also allegedly thrown at law enforcement, although the report did not detail exactly what was thrown, according to AP.

Police say that groups of protesters were throwing trash cans into the streets and lighting garbage on fire, as well as vandalizing and looting businesses. Berkeley’s City Hall was also reportedly vandalized.

Officer Jennifer Coats told AP that five arrests were made in connection with the protests, and two officers suffered minor injuries.  

Although there was “significant damage” to several businesses on Sunday, according to Coats, AP notes that Saturday’s protest was still more serious for Berkeley.

Read more at Talking Points Memo.