Posted on 07/09/2016 10:21:54 AM PDT by Kudsman
Police arrested 74 people at a Black Lives Matter demonstration in Rochester, New York, on Friday amid nationwide protests against police shootings of black citizens.
The Rochester demonstration was one of many held in the wake of deadly police shootings in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and suburban St. Paul, Minnesota, and came after the sniper attack that killed five police officers in Dallas.
Texas Leaders Anxious to Begin Healing Process Officials said they had made attempts to communicate with organizers and thought the protest was ending before the arrests were made.
"We actually started demobilizing officers and ... arranging for some officers to be in the area just to keep an eye on things," Rochester Police Chief Michael Ciminelli said at a press briefing early Saturday.
Officers donned riot gear "later on" and at one point the crowd began to surround them and rocks were thrown, he said.
"At this point ... there were 74 arrests for disorderly conduct. There were also two charges for resisting arrest," he said. The crowd numbered more than 400 people, he said.
At the same briefing, Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren said the situation had "escalated a little bit" but police did not have to use use any pepper spray, batons or "deploy any weapons, any tasers."
Instagrammer Records Protesters' Standoff With Police in Rochester Two journalists were also mistakenly arrested.
"I apologize for that. They were there trying to do their job to cover this event," Ciminelli added. Warren also apologized to the journalists.
Nobody was injured during the night, Ciminelli said without going into very much detail about the circumstances around the detentions.
The "74 arrests made it's difficult for us to break down each individual one," he added.
In spite of the number of detentions, Ciminelli said the department "didn't blindly make arrests."
Earlier, Ciminelli said he would have preferred not to have the rally in the city on Friday, a day after the Dallas massacre. However, he said, if people wanted to gather and voice their concerns, "we will protect them in doing so."
Other protests around the country shut down traffic at times but were reportedly peaceful:
I know Rochester well. I would bet $1000 every single one of those 74 arrested are receiving benefits from a host of government programs
If there hadn’t been so many the cops probably would have shot them. You know, just for sport.
prepare yourself because you know that all these charges will be dropped for some “reason”...
Another day, another article: if Tea Partiers had somehow started "shutting down traffic at times," would they be described as "peaceful," even "reportedly peaceful"?
Keep protesting. This is just going to compel more people to vote for Trump.
Could be a rerun of the 68 and 72 elections.
...and the judge is gone fishin for the weekend so.....
Take the police out of it. Use the National Guard.
Yeah! Voice their concerns by breaking a few windows, overturning and burning a few cars, and beating the hell out of a few passerbys. All while under police protection.
So the BLM event terrorist in Dallas who brutally murdered 5 white cops and wounded 7 more caused the BLM people to become enraged? Or are they enraged over an incident which is still under investigation?
Is there something wrong with this picture?
FINALLY, if there’s no cost for violently protesting, what’s the use of even having a government?
Triple A with a gun.
Did Rochester allow their police to wear body armor?
Dallas didn’t, thought it would look bad.
“Texas Leaders Anxious to Begin Healing Process Officials said they had made attempts to communicate with organizers and thought the protest was ending before the arrests were made.
“We actually started demobilizing officers and ... arranging for some officers to be in the area just to keep an eye on things,” Rochester Police Chief Michael Ciminelli said at a press briefing early Saturday.”
Are they in Texas or Rochester? Who writes these articles
Well, that guy now lives in Rochester. Wonder if he was one of the ones arrested.
Lynch will be busy next week traveling and investigating police forces
Men in blue: protect yourselves.
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