Violence erupts as protesters face off with police in Des Moines

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ATOP THE PARKING GARAGE OVERLOOKING THE COURT AVENUE BRIDGE. YOU CAN SEE THE POLICE STATION IN THE DISTANCE. ALWAYS LINING THE STREET THERE. IT IS PEACEFUL OVER HERE WHERE WE ARE. NOT SEEING AS MUCH ACTION. I KNOW BEAU BOWMAN AS BEEN THE THICK OF IT. IT HAS BEEN A CRAZY NIGHT. WE WERE HERE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. THE PHOTOGRAPHER AND I COVERED THE PROTEST AT THE VERY BEGINNING WHEN IT WAS PEACEFUL. THERE WERE PROBABLY ABOUT 1000 PEOPLE THERE. WE INTERVIEWED A LOT OF PEOPLE. A LOT OF THEM PARENTS, MOM, PEOPLE WHO CAME OUT TO PROTEST PEACEFULLY. WE HAD A WHOLE STORY PREPARED TO AIR TONIGHT OF THIS PEACEFUL PROTEST THAT WE WERE NOT EVEN ABLE TO FINISH AND GET ON AIR BECAUSE THIS ERECTED AND WE -- INTERRUPTED --ERUPTED. IT WAS VERY PEACEFUL AT THE BEGINNIN LOTS OF PEOPLE HERE. THE MOWING POLICE WERE HAPPY TO LET EVERYBODY DEMONSTRATE. THE POLICE STATE OUT OF THE WAY OF THAT PEACEFUL PROTEST IN SUPPORT OF THAT. AS WE HAVE BEEN REPORTING ALL NIGHT, IT TOOK TURN FOR THE WORST WHEN A PROTESTER JUMPED ON TOP OF A POLICE CAR AND STARTED INCITING VIOLENCE. OUR PRODUCER JUST TO ME, WE ARE SHOWING SOME PEACEFUL PROTEST VIDEO FROM EARLIER. WE WANT TO SHOWYOU WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE EARLIER WHEN THINGS WERE CALM. WE DEFINITELY DO NOT WANT TO CATEGORIZE EVERYBODY AS A PART OF THI THIS WAS A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT DID THIS VIOLENCE LATER IN THE EVENING. OTHERWISE, EVERYTHING WENT WELL EARLIER TODAY. JUST GIVING YOU AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT IT IS BEEN LIKE ALL NIGHT TONIGHT. COWORKERS, BEAU BOWMAN, KAYLA JAMES, ALL OF OUR PHOTOGRAPHERS, CANNOT SAY ENOUGH ABOUT HOW HARD EVERYBODY IS WORKING TO BRING YOU THIS COVERAGE. IT HAS BEEN A LITTLE SCARY. SOME OF US HAVE BEE PUNCHED, AND ROCKS THROWN AT US, TEAR GAS IN OUR EYES. IT IS BEEN A SCARY THING TO COVER, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT TO SHOW YOU WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE CITY. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE VE UPSET FOR A RIGHTFUL CAUSE. WHAT HAPPENE TONIGHT WAS NOT THE INTENTION OF MOST PEOPLE. THAT IS AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT IS GOING ON AT THI POINT. I THINK EVERYBODY IS TIRED. COAKLEY THINGS ARE SLOWING DOWN. I WILL STEP OUT OF THE WAY SO WE CAN ZOOM IN AND SHOW YOU WHAT WE ARE SEEING. WE ARE SEEING ROW OF OFFICERS THERE, A LINE OF OFFICERS THAT HAVE BEEN THERE PRETTY MUCH THE NIGHT. THIS IS WHER THIS ERECT --ERUPTED EARLIER TODAY AND KIND OF WHERE IT IS BEEN HAPPENING ALL NIGHT BETWEEN THE EAST VILLAGE AND DOWNTOWN. WE HAVE BEEN WATCHING COURT AVENUE, VERY BUSY TONIGHT. PEOPLE REVVING THEIR ENGINES. I THINK CHRIS GOTHNER SAID IT EARLIER. YOU WANT TO AVOID DOWNTOWN TONIGHT. IT IS BEEN A BIT OF A SCARY SCENE. THAT IS WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON. OUR PRODUCER CAN LET ME KNOW IF I AM TALKING TOO LONG OR WE ARE GOING TO TOSS IT BACK TO STEVE IN THE STUDIO. THAT IS WHAT WE ARE SEEING FROM OUR VANTAGE POINT. STEVE: LAURA, THAN YOU VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE THAT. WHILE, KCCI EIGHT NEWS CREW, SOMETIME

Protesters in downtown Des Moines have clashed with officers after a planned rally over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.Organizers of the event asked protesters to leave peacefully at the conclusion of the demonstration, but many chose not to.A KCCI editor witnessed protesters throwing bottles at officers, and broke out windows on police vehicles. Officers used mace on the crowd of at least 200. A line of officers in riot gear stood in a line near the police station at Second Street and Court Avenue.State Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad stood between police and protesters to attempt to diffuse the situation.A group of protest leaders were escorted behind police lines to speak with Sgt. Paul Parizek.Protesters continued to chant, but were otherwise peaceful by 8:50 p.m. After 9 p.m., officers asked protesters to disperse. When they refused, officers used pepper spray to disperse the crowd. Glass could be heard breaking as the crowd moved away from officers.Bottles and bricks were again thrown at officers, along with fireworks.Officers continued to fire tear gas into the crowd as it dispersed in several directions, while a smaller group of protesters remained. Some of those protesters could be seen throwing rocks at a line of officers in riot gear.By 9:40 p.m., most protesters had dispersed, but some pockets of them remained. Some could be seen continuing to throw rocks at officers.Damage was reported at several businesses in the area, with glass shattered in several locations.Police marched to Hilltop Tire service around 10 p.m., where people were seeing smashing windows and going in and out of the building.Rep. Abdul-Samad continued to try to diffuse the situation, talking to protesters with a bullhorn.At 10:08, officers at the Hilltop scene pressed forward as protesters hurled objects at them.At around 10:20 p.m., officers charged east down Court Avenue as more objects were hurled at them. A handful of protesters were apprehended by police.At East First and Walnut, the windows and doors were broken in at the Federal Courthouse.By 10:35 p.m., most protesters had moved from the Second Street and Court Avenue area. Officers were seen holding in place.Most protesters had been cleared from the streets by midnight. Officers continued to protect the Des Moines Poliec Headquarters.Check the KCCI Breaking News and Weather App for updates on this developing story.Protesters, police clash in downtown Des MoinesWatch Facebook video from the scene below.RAW VIDEO: Protesters confront police in downtown Des Moines

DES MOINES, Iowa —

Protesters in downtown Des Moines have clashed with officers after a planned rally over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Organizers of the event asked protesters to leave peacefully at the conclusion of the demonstration, but many chose not to.

A KCCI editor witnessed protesters throwing bottles at officers, and broke out windows on police vehicles. Officers used mace on the crowd of at least 200.

A line of officers in riot gear stood in a line near the police station at Second Street and Court Avenue.

State Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad stood between police and protesters to attempt to diffuse the situation.

A group of protest leaders were escorted behind police lines to speak with Sgt. Paul Parizek.

Protesters continued to chant, but were otherwise peaceful by 8:50 p.m.

After 9 p.m., officers asked protesters to disperse. When they refused, officers used pepper spray to disperse the crowd. Glass could be heard breaking as the crowd moved away from officers.

Bottles and bricks were again thrown at officers, along with fireworks.

Officers continued to fire tear gas into the crowd as it dispersed in several directions, while a smaller group of protesters remained. Some of those protesters could be seen throwing rocks at a line of officers in riot gear.

By 9:40 p.m., most protesters had dispersed, but some pockets of them remained. Some could be seen continuing to throw rocks at officers.

Damage was reported at several businesses in the area, with glass shattered in several locations.

Police marched to Hilltop Tire service around 10 p.m., where people were seeing smashing windows and going in and out of the building.

Rep. Abdul-Samad continued to try to diffuse the situation, talking to protesters with a bullhorn.

At 10:08, officers at the Hilltop scene pressed forward as protesters hurled objects at them.

At around 10:20 p.m., officers charged east down Court Avenue as more objects were hurled at them. A handful of protesters were apprehended by police.

At East First and Walnut, the windows and doors were broken in at the Federal Courthouse.

By 10:35 p.m., most protesters had moved from the Second Street and Court Avenue area. Officers were seen holding in place.

Most protesters had been cleared from the streets by midnight. Officers continued to protect the Des Moines Poliec Headquarters.

Check the KCCI Breaking News and Weather App for updates on this developing story.

Protesters, police clash in downtown Des Moines

Watch Facebook video from the scene below.

RAW VIDEO: Protesters confront police in downtown Des Moines

Violence erupts as protesters face off with police in Des Moines

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