Protests Turn Chaotic As They Spread To Austin, Texas; Louisville, Ky., And Other US Cities Over Weekend

Clashes between police and protesters escalated over the weekend as the protests that have engulfed Portland, Oregon, has spread to other cities across the U.S.

Here's what happend over the weekend:

Portland

In Portland, thousands of protesters reportedly gathered outside a federal courthouse on Friday as part of the city’s ongoing Black Lives Matter protests. It has since come to include opposition to President Trump deploying federal agents into the city as part of his efforts to quell the protests.

The Portland Police Bureau said the large group had been peaceful for most of the night when a small group began shaking the fence set up around it and shot fireworks over it around 11 p.m., though the surrounding peaceful protesters attempted to stop them. Authorities responded with tear gas, flash bangs, and other “various munitions” in an effort to break up the protests.

It was not clear whether police or federal agents began firing into the crowd.

Protests began again on Saturday outside the federal courthouse and escalated immediately. Another group among the protesters managed to knock down a section of the fencing, causing authorities to deem the protest an “unlawful assembly.” Efforts to break up the protests persisted until 2:30 a.m. on Sunday and included multiple arrests, though police did not provide an exact number.

Seattle

Seattle proved to be equally as chaotic as protests persisted for most of the weekend, with the situation hitting its proverbial climax around 12 a.m. Sunday.

Protests around the city’s Capitol Hill neighborhood reportedly grew so large police were forced to fall back to the nearest precincts. Police said some protesters were throwing rocks and bottles while other were shooting off fireworks, causing at least 59 officers to be injured with various cuts, burns, and abrasions.

Police inside the city’s East Precinct said the protesters began breaking up around 1 a.m. Sunday, allowing them to exit the building and try to disperse the remaining demonstrators.

At least 45 protesters were arrested for assaults on officers, obstruction and failure to disperse. President Trump has also ordered federal agents into Seattle and will remain on standby to protect federal property.

Shots Fired At Protests

Protests in Aurora, Colorado; Louisville, Kentucky; and Austin, Texas, were marred by shootings, with the Austin gunfire turning deadly.

Garrett Foster, 28, was shot during the protests in Austin around 10 p.m. on Sunday. Police said Foster was shot when a driver passing through the protests fired multiple rounds into the crowd, with conflicting stories emerging about how the situation unfolded. Police said they were told Foster approached the car with an assault rifle when the driver fired, while, Foster’s mother said, she was told her son was pushing her wheelchair-bound fiancé. Police said it is investigating the shooting and has spoken with the suspect, but did not release the driver’s name.

The shootings in Aurora and Louisville were not deadly, but left multiple people injured.

Another driver fired on the crowd of protesters marching on a Colorado interstate in Aurora. Police said one person was wounded during the shooting, but no one was harmed by the car. The injured protester was said to be in stable condition at a local hospital while police investigated the shooting.

The shooting in Louisville on Saturday was preceded by a Friday night that saw at least 76 protesters arrested for blocking off a city street. Protests resumed Saturday after one group, named the “Not F**king Around Coalition,” said it coordinated with police to ensure it remained as peaceful as possible. However, a firearm was reportedly discharged and injured three protesters who were taken to nearby hospitals with non-life threatening injuries.

Other news from the weekend protests:

• A courthouse and police station were damaged while multiple vehicles were set on fire amid weekend protests across Oakland, California.
• Multiple vehicles were damaged from alleged arson, including a city dump truck, during protests in Richmond, Virginia, organized as a show of support for Portland.
• Federal buildings in Atlanta, Georgia, were damaged, though no major injuries were reported, by some protesters outside the city’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility.
• The Fraternal Order of Police building and surrounding area in Baltimore, Maryland, was vandalized with graffiti and anti-police messages during Saturday’s protests.