The largest and most intense afternoon of protests in Denver this week gave way to increasing clashes with police in riot gear Saturday night as many ignored Mayor Michael Hancock’s curfew following the death of George Floyd this week at the hands of Minnesota police.
Saturday’s protest began at noon with a calm crowd, many people wearing face masks and carrying signs protesting Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police. Water bottles were handed out, and state Reps. Leslie Herod and James Coleman, both Denver Democrats, led choruses of “Black Lives Matter” and “Hands up, don’t shoot” chants.
Tay Anderson, a Denver school board member who served as emcee for much of Friday’s daytime protest, pleaded again Saturday for people to march peacefully.
However, the mood changed after Denver Mayor Michael Hancock announced at 1 p.m. that he was invoking a citywide curfew for Saturday and Sunday nights, and that Gov. Jared Polis had authorized use of the Colorado National Guard to maintain order.
Protesters indicated they had little respect for the mayor’s order.
“(Expletive) your curfew, we want justice!” they chanted in front of the Capitol building.
Conflicts also developed among protesters — mainly as some began to get more aggressive and others urged them to remain nonviolent.
Around 3:45 p.m., protesters ran into a police blockade near the 1500 block of North Washington Street, where one person threw something at officers. Other protesters began yelling at that individual, and police shot tear gas.
Nearby, a fight broke out between a white man and a black woman after the woman asked the man to back away from police.
At about 5 p.m., the protest seemed to be quieting down until police in riot gear formed a line on Lincoln Street in front of Civic Center Station, the National Guard standing in formation nearby. SWAT vehicles from both Denver and Aurora were parked in the street.
Dozens of protesters knelt in the streets with their hands up, chanting “Don’t shoot” and “Why are you in riot gear? We don’t see a riot here.” Police began to issue orders to the crowd, but it was difficult to clearly hear their commands. Police then fired many rounds of tear gas, most of which landed in the homeless encampment along Colfax Avenue. Several protesters threw canisters of gas back at police.
Police just majorly tear gassed and shot pepperballs at protesters in front of Civic Center Station; huge crowd ran for it, including me. Eyes, throat burning. It’s a lot of gas. Protesters were not throwing anything or advancing on cops pic.twitter.com/CPYvnvXzUz
— Beth Rankin (@byBethRankin) May 30, 2020
For the next two hours, every five to 10 minutes, police continued to fire tear gas, pepper balls, flash bangs and small red balls at protesters in an effort to clear them from the Capitol. Every time the gas cleared, protesters returned. A group of activists linked arms and sat on the ground in front of the Capitol. One woman called out, “If you’re white, hold the line,” and more white protesters joined them in an attempt to circle the Capitol. Meanwhile, a group of protesters nearby attempted to clean graffiti off of the Scottish Rite Masonic Center at Grant and 14th.
Just before 7 p.m., some white protesters attempted to pull off plywood protecting the Colorado Supreme Court building. Black protesters yelled at them to stop and tried to reattach the boards.
Shortly after that, protesters and police had a standoff at Lincoln and Colfax, with police firing tear gas at crowds in response to people throwing water bottles. Several protesters confronted those who were throwing things at the police, asking them to stop in order to keep the protest peaceful. After running from the melee, a Denver Post reporter saw several protesters bleeding on the ground with small, circular wounds.
Marchers tried to keep going, but were just blocked by police. pic.twitter.com/Vm3FGdMaIW
— Saja Hindi (@BySajaHindi) May 30, 2020
The 8 p.m. curfew came and went with hundreds of protesters still in the streets. Police continued using tear gas and projectiles to control the crowds. The National Guard and Aurora police assisted Denver police.
As darkness fell, protesters increasingly began setting fires — in garbage cans and even one under the state Human Services Building at Sherman and 16th. They were quickly extinguished.
Large fire in the basement of State Human Services building, at 16th and Sherman. pic.twitter.com/8KKFSNAXHJ
— Elise Schmelzer (@EliseSchmelzer) May 31, 2020
The protests around the Capitol finally appeared to wind down by about 10 p.m., with small pockets of people walking around and a continuing police presence.
Civic Center pretty quiet. A few people walking around. There are cops. Some people near their tents pic.twitter.com/uuMVuZT51y
— Elise Schmelzer (@EliseSchmelzer) May 31, 2020
Denver’s protests mirror others around the country, which have brought out thousands of people to rally against Floyd’s death in the midst of a global pandemic. Minnesota’s governor brought up the full National Guard on Saturday to help bring order to Minneapolis, which has been site of widespread looting and arson, including burning down a police precinct.
In Denver, 34 people were arrested Thursday and Friday for engaging in looting and vandalism, setting fires and carrying weapons.