What appeared to be a peaceful protest took a turn overnight as law enforcement forces used flash bombs and what appeared to be a chemical agent to disperse a crowd of protesters gathered in Seattle.
On a live video stream on Facebook, police could be heard warning protesters to disperse and leave the area. Shortly after, the crowd began to scatter and police officers and other law enforcement agents could be seen advancing into an intersection.
Loud bangs could be heard in the background as white smoke begins to waft through the air. At one point, the video stream pans to show a burning trash can.
The moderator of the live feed describes two armored vehicles moving in as members of the police force continue to span out into the intersection that was full of protesters just minutes before.
Before police began to move protesters back, the Seattle Police Department said: “Incident Commander has made multiple PA announcements requesting that demonstrators stop moving the bicycle fencing and for the crowd to move back,” in a post on Twitter that was followed approximately two hours later by another post warning protesters.
https://twitter.com/SeattlePD/status/1269884075747053569
In a third post, the Seattle Police Department announced their intentions to clear the area saying: “Incident Commander has issued two dispersal orders, demonstrators should leave the area now.”
Hours earlier, the Seattle Police Department arrested a man who drove a vehicle in the crowd of protesters, while the Seattle Fire Department transported a man in his late 20s from the same area to hospital with a gunshot wound.
source CNN