Peaceful Denver Protests Turned Violent As Weekend Progressed

This weekend, Colorado experienced riots all over the state, but particularly at our state's capitol. Coloradans are protesting social injustice against the black community after yet another unarmed black man was killed while in custody of the Minneapolis police last Monday.

According to the Greeley Tribune, Tay Anderson, a Denver school board member, served as emcee during Friday’s daytime protest. On Saturday, he participated once more, and pleaded repeatedly for protesters to continue to march peacefully.

At first, the protests remained calm as water bottles were distributed among the crowd against the mid-afternoon heat.

But at 1 p.m., Denver's Mayor Hancock announced a curfew, at which point the mood changed.

Protesters began chanting in front of the capitol building, “(Expletive) your curfew, we want justice!”

Still, as the mood shifted, many protesters urged others to remain nonviolent.

By 3:45 p.m., marchers ran into a police blockade near the 1500 block of North Washington St.

Around 5 p.m. on Saturday, the protest began quieting down, until police formed a line in riot gear with SWAT vehicles nearby, according to the Greeley Tribune.

For the next two hours, police fired tear gas, flash bangs and pepper balls in 10 minute intervals. The Greeley Tribune reported that by around 7 p.m., police were at a standoff with protesters at Lincoln and Colfax as several protesters confronted others around them, asking them to remain peaceful.

According to the Greeley Tribune, a Denver Post reporter saw several protesters bleeding on the ground with small circular wounds.