America divided: Cops fire teargas on protesters in Tempe, Arizona as unrest continues across the U.S. and mayors of six cities appeal to Congress to block federal agents from going to their cities
- Protests have taken place for the 61st night in cities across the US amid clashes with police and federal agents
- BLM protests turned violent in Tempe on Monday as demonstrators clashed with police after blocking traffic
- In total, seven were arrested on a varying degree of charges and at least one officer was injured, officials say
- Activists threw bottles and shot fireworks at agents in Portland, as tear gas and rubber bullets were fired back
- Hundreds of marchers also took to the streets in Austin, Texas, after an armed BLM protester was shot dead
- Mayors of five cities are appealing to Congress to make it illegal for the government to deploy federal agents
Police have fired teargas at protesters in Tempe, Arizona, and Portland while hundreds of activists gathered on the streets of Austin as cities across the US saw their 61st consecutive night of unrest.
A protest to support the Black Lives Matter movement turned violent in Tempe on Monday night when demonstrators clashed with local police in the middle of a roadway.
The demonstration began peacefully at about 5pm as roughly 200 people gathered in Tempe Beach Park. Protesters then began marching through the streets and ultimately blocked traffic on Scottsdale Road, prompting Tempe Police to declare the gathering unlawful.
After the crowd ignored orders to disperse, police deployed tear gas at the protesters, who responded by launching projectiles and shouting profanities as they moved toward a line of officers on bicycles.
Similar scenes of chaos and violence erupted elsewhere across the country across Monday night into early Tuesday.
In Oregon, a crowd of 1,000 activists clashed with agents outside the federal courthouse when a group protesters began attacking a protective fence that had been put up around the building to protect it. Rubber bullets and tear gas was fired into the crowd, as bottles and fireworks were sent back the other way.
And in Austin, Texas, where a protester was shot dead on Saturday, hundreds of people marched to the police headquarters to demand justice.
Amid the rising tensions, the mayors of five major US cities - Portland; Seattle; Chicago; Kansas City; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Washington - are appealing to Congress to make it illegal for the for the federal government to deploy militarized agents to cities that don't want them - claiming their presence is actually escalating the unrest.
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TEMPE, ARIZONA: Police fired tear gas into a crowd of protesters and threatened to make arrests as an anti-racism demonstration turned chaotic on Monday night in Tempe
TEMPE, ARIZONA: Video showed Tempe police officers taking at least one person into custody after the protesters blocked Scottsdale Road and ignored orders to disperse
TEMPE, ARIZONA: The Tempe protest began peacefully at about 5pm Monday as roughly 200 people gathered in Tempe Beach Park to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement
In Tempe, police said demonstrators gathered near Scottsdale Road and Playa Del Norte Drive ignored repeated request from officers to disperse and exit the roadway.
'Participants will NOT be allowed to enter the roadway on Scottsdale Rd in either direction and MUST remain on the sidewalk,' Tempe PD warned in a tweet.
However, law enforcement say the crowd did not stay on the sidewalk and instead continued to gather in the road. The crowd then reportedly began advancing towards police, yelling profanities and hurling objects at officers.
During the scuffle, Tempe Police say one officer was injured when an unknown projectile thrown by protesters struck them in the face, causing a laceration which required medical attention.
Tempe Police Chief Sylvia Moir tweeted about the confrontation between police and protesters just after 8pm local time, writing: 'It is unacceptable to hurl projectiles at people — cops are people there to protect free expression and provide public safety. When you throw objects at them, that is NOT OK.'
Seven protesters were arrested in total Monday and held on a varying degree of charges. Video recorded by AZFamily.com showed officers tackling one demonstrator to the ground. Police were also seen using pepper on activists as they attempted to disperse two hundred person-strong crowd.
The protest that preceded the clash was organized in honor of Dalvin Hollins and Dion Johnson, two black men who were shot and killed by police in metro Phoenix.
Demonstrators shield themselves from advancing federal officers during a Black Lives Matter protest early Tuesday morning
A protester kicks a tear gas round back towards federal officers near the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse after an unlawful assembly was declared Monday night
Demonstrators hold signs and umbrellas as tear gas engulfs them during Monday night's protest
Federal police advance upon a line of protesters outside the Multnomah County Justice Center after an unlawful assembly was declared on Monday
Protesters hold umbrellas and shields to keep from getting struck by less-lethal munitions during a demonstration on Monday
A protester is seen kicking a tear gas munition away from him and others after it was launched by federal agents outside the federal courthouse on Monday
Monday marked the fourth anniversary of when 19-year-old Hollins was fatally shot by Tempe police responding to a call about a suspected robbery at a Walgreens in 2016.
It was also the day before what would have the 29th birthday of Johnson, who was shot and killed by Arizona State Trooper George Cervantes on May 25, 2020.
The protesters marched to the Mill Avenue bridge, where they kneeled in the road and sang 'Happy Birthday' to Johnson.
They also hung a large banner on the bridge with the words: 'End qualified immunity' - referencing the legal doctrine that protects law enforcement and other officials from being sued for official actions.
The organizers of the demonstration - Tempe Against Police Violence, Black Lives Matter Phoenix-Metro, Direct Action Arizona and Young Democratic Socialists of America - demanded that the state Department of Public Safety release the names of all officers involved in Johnson's death.
They're also calling for the officers involved in both deaths to be fired, in addition to all officers who are 'accomplices to wrongful death or use of force violations', as well as ensuring that police officers are no longer dispatched for mental health or substance abuse 911 calls.
'We're sick and tired of our folks, our brothers and sisters being killed by the racist police departments,' organizer Darien Barrett of Tempe Against Police Violence told AZFamily.com.
TEMPE, ARIZONA: Seven protesters were arrested in total Monday and held on a varying degree of charges
TEMPE, ARIZONA: Video recorded by AZFamily.com showed officers tackling one demonstrator to the ground.
TEMPE, ARIZONA: Police say one officer was injured when an unknown projectile thrown by protesters struck them in the face, causing a laceration which required medical attention
TEMPE, ARIZONA: At about 8pm Tempe Police declared the protest unlawful as crowds refused to clear the road
TEMPE, ARIZONA: Protesters were seen hurling projectiles at officers ordering them to clear the road in Tempe on Monday
Monday marked the 61st night of nationwide protests against racism and police brutality sparked the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white Minneapolis cop kneeled on his neck on May 25.
A large protest formed in Portland, Oregon, where clashes between demonstrators and federal agents intensified over the weekend outside the city's Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse.
Scenes from Monday evening were significantly calmer than preceding nights - though many feared violence could erupt later on after police were seen deploying gas into crowds.
Portland's 'Wall of Moms' turned out once again, albeit in slightly smaller numbers than they had last week.
The crowds gathered in Lownsdale Square before making their way toward the courthouse and ultimately congregating next door at the Multnomah County Justice Center.
At around 9pm local time a few federal officers were seen emerging from the courthouse, eliciting boos from the crowds across the street. The officers immediately turned to walk back into the courthouse as people shouted at them and appeared to advance.
Soon after the throngs of people outside the Justice Center erupted with chants of: 'I can't breathe!'
Myke Tavarres, a former NFL player from Lake Oswego who has become a familiar face at the protests, was heard urging people to stay away from the courthouse because targeting it would only stoke violence with the federal agents.
Meanwhile another large demonstration was held in Austin, where an armed protester was shot dead over the weekend after a car drove into the crowd.
A few dozen people set up outside the Austin Police Department headquarters and chanted at a line of officers stationed outside for a few minutes before the officers retreated into the building.
Earlier on Monday it was revealed that President Donald Trump is sending at least 100 additional federal agents into Portland after weekend protests saw the troops repeatedly fire tear gas, flash bangs and pepper balls into crowds as they attempted to breach a fence surrounding the federal courthouse.
Federal police face off with protesters in front of the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse in downtown Portland on Monday
Demonstrators draw a peace sign in front of a fire during a Black Lives Matter protest outside the Portland federal courthouse
Demonstrators light a fire during a Black Lives Matter protest at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse on Monday
A fire burns near a group of protesters gathered outside the federal courthouse Monday night
In response, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler is now leading the charge of an appeal to Congress seeking to make it illegal for the federal government to deploy militarized agents to a city when they're not wanted.
'This administration´s egregious use of federal force on cities over the objections of local authorities should never happen,' the mayors of Portland; Seattle; Chicago; Kansas City; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Washington wrote to leaders of the US House and Senate.
Video from early Tuesday showed law enforcement officers filling a street with gas to disperse protesters. Several loud booms of an unknown origin could be heard in the footage.
Hours earlier agents repeatedly fired tear gas, flash bangs and pepper balls at protesters outside the federal courthouse in downtown Portland. Some protesters had climbed over the fence surrounding the courthouse, while others shot fireworks, banged on the fence and projected lights on the building.
Wheeler and City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty late called for a meeting with Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf to discuss a cease-fire and removal of heightened federal forces from Portland.
Earlier in the day, a U.S. official said militarized officers would remain in Portland until attacks on a federal courthouse cease - and more officers may soon be on the way.
'It is not a solution to tell federal officers to leave when there continues to be attacks on federal property and personnel,' US Attorney Billy Williams said. 'We are not leaving the building unprotected to be destroyed by people intent on doing so.'
PORTLAND, OREGON: A man addresses a crowd outside the Multnomah County Justice Center on Monday night
PORTLAND, OREGON: Placards are seen next to a fire during protests on Monday night
PORTLAND, OREGON: The so-called 'Wall of Moms' activist group took to the streets of Portland yet again on Monday night to demand that federal agents leave the city following a weekend of violent clashes outside the city's courthouse
PORTLAND, OREGON: A demonstrator sets fire to an American flag in downtown Portland on Monday night as cities across the US were roiled by another night of violent clashes between protesters and law enforcement
PORTLAND, OREGON: A large protest formed in Portland, Oregon, where clashes between demonstrators and federal agents intensified over the weekend outside the city's Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse
PORTLAND, OREGON: Many protesters were seen carrying gas masks in anticipation of attacks from federal agents
PORTLAND, OREGON: Monday night's demonstration convened outside the Multnomah County Justice Center
Portland has had nightly protests for two months since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May. President Donald Trump said he sent federal agents to the city to halt the unrest, but state and local officials said they are making the situation worse.
Trump´s deployment of the federal officers over the July 4 weekend stoked the Black Lives Matter movement. The number of nightly protesters had dwindled to perhaps less than 100 right before the deployment, and now has swelled to the thousands.
Trump said on Twitter that federal properties in Portland 'wouldn't last a day' without the presence of the federal agents.
The majority of people participating in the daily demonstrations have been peaceful. But a few have been pelting officers with objects and trying to tear down fencing protecting the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse.
Williams, whose office is inside the courthouse, called on peaceful protesters, community and business leaders and people of faith to not allow violence to occur in their presence and to leave downtown before violence starts. He said federal agents have made 83 arrests.
Demonstrations in support of racial justice and police reform in other cities around the U.S. were marred by violence over the weekend. The U.S. Marshals Service has lined up about 100 people they could send to hotspots, either to strengthen forces or relieve officers who have been working for weeks, agency spokesperson Drew Wade said.
Kris Cline, principal deputy director of Federal Protective Service, said an incident commander in Portland and teams from the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice discuss what force is needed every night.
Cline refused to discuss the number of officers currently present or if more would be arriving.
Some protesters have accused Wheeler of hypocrisy for speaking out against the federal presence because, under his watch, Portland police have used tear gas and other riot-control weapons on protesters, including peaceful ones.
Cline said Portland police should take over the job of dispersing protesters from the courthouse area from the federal officers.
'If the Portland Police Bureau were able to do what they typically do, they would be able to clear this out for this disturbance and we would leave our officers inside the building and not be visible,' Cline said.
He said relations between the federal officers, some of whom live in Portland, and city police were good.
Portland police responded Sunday evening to a shooting at a park close to the site of the protests. Two people were detained and later released, police said. The person who was shot went to the hospital in a private vehicle and was treated for a non-life-threatening wound.
Also late Sunday, police said someone pointed out a bag in the same park, where officers found loaded rifle magazines and Molotov cocktails. The shooting was not related to the items, police said.
PORTLAND, OREGON: Black activist Myke Tavarres speaks addresses a crowd outside the Multnomah County Justice Center
PORTLAND, OREGON: A sea of 'Moms' dressed in yellow hold up their hands outside the Multnomah County Justice Center
PORTLAND, OREGON: Protesters don gas masks in preparations for tear gas explosions outside the federal courthouse
PORTLAND, OREGON: People gather in a protest camp near the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse as the city prepares for another night of unrest on Monday
AUSTIN, TEXAS: Protesters march through the streets of downtown Austin on Monday night
AUSTIN, TEXAS: In Austin, where a protester was shot dead on Saturday, hundreds of people marched to the police headquarters on Monday night to demand justiceTrump decried the protests and subsequent media coverage in a pair of tweets on Monday night, writing: 'The Fake News Media is trying to portray the Portland and Seattle "protesters" as wonderful, sweet and innocent people just out for a little stroll.
'Actually, they are sick and deranged Anarchists & Agitators who our great men & women of Law Enforcement easily control, but who would destroy our American cities, and worse, if Sleepy Joe Biden, the puppet of the Left, ever won.
Trump decried the protests and subsequent media coverage on Twitter Monday night
'Markets would crash and cities would burn. Our Country would suffer like never before. We will beat the Virus, soon, and go on to the Golden Age - better than ever before!'
The president sent a direct warning to protesters earlier in the night, tweeting: 'Anarchists, Agitators or Protestors who vandalize or damage our Federal Courthouse in Portland, or any Federal Buildings in any of our Cities or States, will be prosecuted under our recently re-enacted Statues & Monuments Act.
The president also sent a direct warning to protesters in Portland and nationwide in a tweet earlier Monday
'MINIMUM TEN YEARS IN PRISON. Don't do it!'
And prior to that tweet, Trump doubled down on his support for the federal agents' actions in another post, claiming that federal properties in Portland 'wouldn't last a day' without their presence.
Protesters from the Wall of Moms and Don't Shoot Portland activist groups filed a federal lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security on Monday, accusing federal officers of violating their free speech, using excessive force and overstepping their authority.
The suit came as reports emerged that the DHS is also considering sending 50 additional Customs and Border Protection personnel to Portland in the coming days.
Many critics see the deployment of federal troops as a political ploy by Trump to drum up a 'law and order' campaign amid his uphill re-election battle - while the president and his allies insist that it was necessary to protect the city.
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