Protests across the country are calling for an end to police brutality — and many are ending in arrests.
Thousands in San Antonioturned out Saturday to honor George Floyd, a Black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Officials from the San Antonio Police Department report arresting six individuals for charges including evading arrest, riot engagement and criminal mischief.
In the following days, more protests led to more arrests. From May 30 to June 3, SAPD officers say they’ve arrested a total of 15 people for downtown disturbances similar to the aforementioned charges.
One arrested man’s charges only include crossing against a pedestrian control sign, failure to identify and evading arrest/search.
In the more recent protests — which included hundreds of people — the crowds bare noticeably young faces.
VIDEO: Here law enforcement - likely SAPD - follow protestors down Commerce Street after turning from Losoya.
— Joey Palacios 😷 (@Joeycules) June 3, 2020
Here some protestors begin to damage some property along the street.
Whataburger got a busted window which I’ll tweet in a second. @TPRNews pic.twitter.com/LwXMyjiJZz
Of the 15 people SAPD reported arresting, nine are teenagers, five are in their 20s and one man is 44.
San Antonio Police Chief William McManus has previously said people from outside the area are the most violent during protests. But SAPD has only reported arresting one person with an address registered outside of San Antonio — the 44-year-old man from Uvalde, which is about 85 miles from San Antonio.
In a written statement, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said The City of San Antonio’s goal is to “protect peaceful demonstrators’ rights to voice their demands for equal treatment of all Americans and their desire for criminal justice reform.”
He's asked Chief McManus to “communicate the rules of engagement” so demonstrators know when SAPD officers plan to disperse a crowd. So far those tactics have involved tear gas, rubber projectiles and wood projectiles. You can read the mayor's full statement here.
Bri Kirkham can be reached at bri@tpr.orgor on Twitter at @BriKirk.
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