Video: Protesters in California Clash With Police and Vandalize Stores
New York Times, December 8, 2014
Raucous demonstrations hit Berkeley’s streets for a second night as protesters angered by police killings in Missouri and New York clashed with officers, vandalized businesses and even fought with each other.
Sunday’s protest began peacefully on the University of California, Berkeley, campus but eventually grew rowdy and spilled into Oakland. Activists made their way onto a freeway and blocked traffic.
The California Highway Patrol said officers fired tear gas after protesters threw rocks and bottles and tried to set fire to a patrol vehicle. The police also said explosives were thrown at officers, but there was no information immediately available on how potent they were.
Officers eventually chased protesters off the roadway.
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As hundreds of protesters began marching through downtown Berkeley, the unrest that marked protests Saturday night was touched off again as someone smashed the window of a RadioShack. When a protester tried to stop vandalism, he was hit with a hammer, Officer Jennifer Coats, the spokeswoman for the Berkeley Police Department, said.
The police said groups of protesters began roaming through the downtown area late Sunday, throwing trash cans into streets and lighting garbage on fire, smashing windows on buildings, and damaging and looting businesses. There also were reports of vandalism at City Hall.
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[Editor’s Note: The photo below is of the man who was attacked with a hammer.]