13 Arrests Result From Weekend Riots Denver Officials Say Were Led By Anarchists
(CBS4) - A total of 13 people have been arrested for the riots that took place in downtown Denver over the weekend. Denver officials called the group that caused problems on Saturday night anarchists.
On Saturday night rioters threw fireworks at Denver police officers and started fires. They also smashed a store window in front of police.
"The anarchists that showed up last night brought weapons, they had guns, explosives, axes, machetes, they had one intent purpose and that was to harm our officers," Murphy Robinson, Executive Director of the Denver Public Safety Department said on Sunday.
The charges from the arrests range from criminal mischief to aggravated assault. Those arrested range in age from 19 to 32 and are a mix of males and females.
One person was also arrested on Sunday night for public fighting in a similar outbreak of violence.
Protests against police brutality have been going on for months and some in the community feel not enough has been done to address the issue. It's unclear at this point who organized this weekend's gathering. A flyer online called for people to bring gear. It also said municipal leaders refused to address demands to abolish DPD.
"We know there is a coordinated effort to inflict some of these riotous activities. We saw some of it last night in Chicago and other cities," Mayor Michael Hancock said on Sunday.
Hancock vowed to hold suspects accountable, saying the city will do everything possible to stop these violent acts.
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