Protesters in Providence, Rhode Island, took to the streets for a second night and attacked police and their vehicles. Officers arrested at least eight people.
Once again, the protest began peacefully. Demonstrators came out against police following an incident that put a 24-year-old man into a coma after a moped crash at the end of a police chase. Protesters claim the police cruiser struck the moped. Video evidence released so far does not make clear the precise cause of the crash.
The demonstration turned violent when protesters began throwing rocks, smoke bombs, and other objects at police officers who were trying to maintain order in the streets, the Providence Journal reported. At about 10:30 p.m. local time police ordered the crowd, including news media, to disperse.
Video tweeted by WPRI12 reporter Rob Nesbitt shows a group of police cars blocking one of the streets used by protesters. The video shows multiple police vehicles with broken windows.
Several police cruisers parked on Elmwood Ave have cracked/broken windows and windshields. The cruisers were used to block protestors earlier tonight. @wpri12 pic.twitter.com/eb0jPBYrir
— Rob Nesbitt (@RobNesbittNews) October 22, 2020
Another video shows one man being arrested by police after he dared them to, Nesbitt tweeted.
#BREAKING A man was just arrested on Elmwood Ave, after yelling at police and daring them to arrest him. @wpri12 pic.twitter.com/aMOhuaNSSR
— Rob Nesbitt (@RobNesbittNews) October 22, 2020
Another video shows several more people being arrested and placed in a van.
#BREAKING Several protestors are now being arrested and put into this Providence Police transport vehicle. @wpri12 pic.twitter.com/UAMlndPT84
— Rob Nesbitt (@RobNesbittNews) October 22, 2020
The incident that resulted in the hospitalization of Jhamal Gonsalves stemmed form a police crackdown on swarms of dirtbikes, mopeds, and ATVs racing through the capital city’s streets.
“The use of dirt bikes and ATV’s on our City streets is illegal and they are a serious danger to the public,” Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza said in a written statement earlier this year. “These vehicles will not be tolerated and we will continue to confiscate and destroy them.”
Another video by Nesbitt shows some of those bikers racing through the protest area.
Protestors marching through Providence tonight have been blocked off by Police at Park Ave, near the Cranston city line. @wpri12 pic.twitter.com/cf9Gxf6RUA
— Rob Nesbitt (@RobNesbittNews) October 22, 2020
Video released by police that left Gonsalves in a coma does not conclusively show if his injury was caused by his losing control of the moped during a right-hand turn of if the cruiser was more directly involved in the impact.
The investigation into the crash continues.
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday-morning talk show. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.
