More than 200 Antifa protesters reportedly descended on Tacoma, Washington, where they busted the windows of buildings and set fires in the streets on Sunday, just a day after wreaking havoc in Portland.
Video footage and images showed broken glass scattered on the sidewalk outside of businesses and graffiti sprayed on the side of buildings.
Protesters started at least two fires in the area using a barricade for one and an American flag for the other. Dozens of Tacoma police officers were seen lined up on bikes as protesters approached them.
Late Sunday night, Tacoma police declared an ‘unlawful assembly’ as crowds continued to march through the streets protesting the department after an officer was see running over a man on Saturday.
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More than 200 Antifa protesters reportedly descended on Tacoma, Washington, where they busted the windows of buildings and set fires in the streets on Sunday, just a day after wreaking havoc in Portland
Broken windows and graffiti are sen on a building in downtown Tacoma during an anti-police protest on Sunday
A demonstrator adds fuel to a burning barricade in an intersection in downtown Tacoma during the protest Sunday night
Protesters march through downtown Tacoma during the protest on Sunday in Tacoma, Washington
Dozens of police officers are seen standing their ground as protesters approached them
During the incident, a Tacoma Police vehicle is seen plowing through a group of pedestrians swarming it, knocking several people to the pavement, after authorities responded to reports of drag racers in the city’s downtown area.
The short video, which was shot by an onlooker just before 7pm local time on Saturday and later posted online, shows cars with squealing tires turning donuts on downtown streets.
Then the Tacoma Police patrol car – surrounded by people – surges forward, knocking roughly five people to the ground before driving off.
One person can be seen lying on the pavement as the police car’s wheels rolled over him. The severity of his injuries are unclear. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
The officer behind the wheel then ‘stopped at a point of safety’ and called for help, according to Tacoma Police.
Moments before the incident, the crowd of about 100 people had gathered to watch several drivers perform circular ‘burnouts’ in which they revved their engines while their cars spun inside the intersection.
A witness told The News Tribune that a fire truck drove through the intersection and briefly interrupted the burnout session.
But the group of vehicles quickly reformed and the crowds once again observed the drivers as they were doing their maneuvers.
Tacoma Police spokeswoman Wendy Haddow said police were alerted to the street racers and the crowd blocking area streets.
A protester carries a flag that reads ‘Antifascist Action’ near a banner that reads ‘Justice for Manny,’ during a protest against police brutality, late Sunday in Tacoma
A barricade, with a banner referencing the 2020 death of Manuel Ellis in police custody, burns in an intersection in downtown Tacoma during an anti-police protest on Sunday
An ‘Open’ sign pictured) was destroyed during Sunday night’s protest in Tacoma, Washington
Graffiti is seen on the County-City Building during an anti-police protest on Sunday in Tacoma
Broken glass is seen at a vandalized building in downtown Tacoma during an anti-police protest on Sunday
Dozens of people are seen blocking a street in downtown Tacoma, Washington, during the protest on Sunday night
When the patrol car responded, the crowd began pounding on the vehicle’s windows, she told local media.
‘He was afraid they would break his glass,’ Haddow told the News Tribune, saying the officer sped away from the scene for his own safety.
Haddow did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Tacoma Police Chief Mike Ake said that the incident will be investigated as ‘deadly force’.
‘I am concerned that our department is experiencing another use of deadly force incident,’ he said.
‘I send my thoughts to anyone who was injured in tonight’s event, and am committed to our Department’s full cooperation in the independent investigation and to assess the actions of the department’s response during the incident.’
City Manager Elizabeth Pauli told the News-Tribune that the officer involved will be placed on leave.
Pauli said the Pierce County Force Investigation Team will handle the investigation.
The protesters gathered in Tacoma Sunday night after footage showed a police cruiser run over a pedestrian on Saturday night
The pedestrian is seen above after he was caught underneath the tires of the police vehicle
Eyewitness accounts posted to social media indicate that the man did not suffer life-threatening injuries
Protests outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland turned ugly on Saturday night as federal authorities threatened mass arrests for trespassing
Dozens of protesters were seen resisting officers’ orders to leave the area on Saturday night
Sunday night’s protest came just a day after a demonstration was held outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Portland
Dramatic videos posted on Twitter showed the crowd chanting: ‘No borders! No nations! Abolish deportations!’
Officers with the Federal Protective Service, a branch within the Department of Homeland Security, declared an unlawful assembly at about 10pm and ordered protesters to disperse.
‘If you trespass on federal property with a weapon, you will be arrested,’ a recording warned the crowd before officers began deploying tear gas and flash bangs.
It marked the four-straight day of protests in the city since Joe Biden’s inauguration as demonstrators make it clear that a new Democratic administration will not stop their campaign for social justice.
Dozens of protesters were seen resisting officers’ orders to leave the area. They held up umbrellas to shield from clouds of tear gas filling the air.
It’s unclear how many protesters, if any, were arrested over Saturday night’s skirmishes.