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LAPD Declares Unlawful Assembly As Protesters, Police Clash Downtown; Looting Reported

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Officers with the Los Angeles Police Department clashed with protesters in downtown Los Angeles Friday night as they demonstrated against the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis officer.

For complete coverage of the situation in Minneapolis visit CBSMinnesota.com and stream CBSN Minnesota

Shortly before 9:30 p.m., LAPD declared an unlawful assembly throughout downtown Los Angeles after what it said were "repeated acts of violence and property damage."

About an hour after LAPD declared the unlawful assembly, those who remained downtown began looting businesses — including a liquor store, a Starbucks and the 6th Street Market — and were seen on video carrying out furniture and other items from the shops.

The protest began at about 5 p.m. as protesters gathered outside of City Hall for the third night in a row to demonstrate against police brutality. The protesters then marched south on Spring Street before heading north on Figueroa Street.

Less than two hours later, the tone of the protests shifted as police detained a number of demonstrators near the intersection of Fifth and Olive streets, though it was not immediately known if they were under arrest. One officer was taken to the hospital with unspecified injuries following the clash.

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One group of protesters and police again clashed shortly before 8 p.m. as groups of people blocked both sides of the 110 Freeway at Wilshire where officers again detained an unknown number of demonstrators who failed to comply with orders to disperse.

US-POLITICS-POLICE-JUSTICE-RACISM
A demonstrator confronts police as he protests the death of George Floyd, in Los Angeles, California on May 29, 2020. - The protest was sparked by protests in Minneapolis, over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white policeman kneeled on his neck for eight minutes. The Minneapolis police officer accused of killing a handcuffed African-American man was charged with murder on May 29, but the move failed to quell surging anger as tense protests erupted in cities across the nation. (Photo by Mark RALSTON / AFP) (Photo by MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images)

The group then seemed to splinter into three different groups of demonstrators — one near the 110 Freeway, another near Hope and Seventh and another at Grand and Seventh.

Another group of protesters found their way onto the 110 Freeway at Fifth, but police were able to clear the freeway with the use of tear gas and bean bag rounds shortly before 9 p.m.

The group of protesters gathered near Grand and Seventh allegedly threw bottles full of urine and fecal matter at a line of police. Officers responded by pushing demonstrators back to Grand and Eighth, urging them to disperse. It was unclear if any of these protesters were detained.

And another officer was injured and taken to the hospital with unknown injuries after a skirmish with the group of protesters located near Hope and Seventh.

A third police officer was injured Friday night, but the source of his injuries and condition were unknown.

Earlier Friday, the LAPD was placed on tactical alert as a precaution in response to the third-straight day of protests against police brutality. The previous two days of demonstrations were largely peaceful.

Derek Chauvin, the white Minneapolis police officer who pressed his knee on the 46-year-old man's neck for nearly nine minutes while other officers looked on, was arrested Friday and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

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