5 arrests after protesters, police clash on DC's Black Lives Matter Plaza
DC police say they arrested five people after protests overnight on Black Lives Matter Plaza. (Twitter/Clarence Williams)
WASHINGTON - D.C. police say they arrested five people after "riotous" protests overnight throughout the District.
Police say they deployed tear gas and sting balls to disrupt the protesters, some of whom lit fireworks, threw objects including bricks and pointed lasers at officers to impair their vision.
Police say six officers have been hospitalized confronting protesters since Thursday.
"Mayor Bowser and MPD will always protect the rights of those engaged in non-violent First Amendment assemblies, however, those who engage in criminal behavior and seek to cause harm to others will be held accountable," a police spokesperson said in a statement.
Police say the arrested protesters face charges including Assault on a Police Officer, Felony Rioting, Reckless Driving and Possession of Unregistered Ammunition.
Local Black Lives Matter activists had their own take on the District's police response:
The protesters and police clashed in neighborhoods through the District including 16th Street's Black Lives Matter Plaza and Adams Morgan.
The Washington Post's Clarence Williams was among the journalists on the scene covering the scene overnight: