DENVER — Saturday protests in Denver started peacefully but ended with at least 36 arrests and encounters with police.
Thousands took to the streets of the Mile High City to march in the anti-trump "No Kings" rallies and to participate in the Denver Branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation's "ICE Out" protest.
But after these protests ended, hundreds continued to march, with one group trying to get onto the highway, where a confrontation with police occurred.
Since noon on Saturday, the Denver Police Department said it managed five peaceful demonstration marches near the State Capitol Building and the downtown area.
Around 6:30 p.m., DPD said the majority of demonstrators had left the downtown area and marched on W. Colfax Avenue towards I-25, where officers were staged to prevent them from getting on the highway.
DPD states that there were numerous loudspeaker announcements warning protesters that they would not be allowed on the highway. Still, protesters attempted to push through the line of officers, and "an unlawful assembly" was declared.
One protestor said, "I would say that here there was probably maybe 300 of us that there was easily, probably five or six armored vehicles, and then also countless squad cars."
Denver7 saw officers use pepper balls and smoke to disperse the crowd and spoke with people following the confrontation. Another protester told us, "They're doing their job, but it doesn't have to go that far into what they do. You know, to me, like it's just unnecessary what they're doing right now."
According to DPD, there were multiple reports of protestors throwing rocks and bottles at officers, and there have been reports of graffiti. There was another situation at 9:20 p.m. where officers used pepper balls and smoke as "officers observed some protestors picking up rocks."
As of the last update, DPD shared officers have made a total of 36 protest-related arrests for investigative charges, ranging from resisting arrest, obstruction of streets, failure to obey a lawful order, and unlawful throwing of projectiles.
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