Sandy MaloneWashington, DC – Violent riots and looting commenced across the United States on Monday night in the wake of the fatal officer-involved shooting of Daunte Wright on Sunday in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center.
Hundreds of people marched through the nation’s capital on Monday night to protest police brutality, the death of Wright, and several recent local incidents, WTTG reported.
Cell phone videos posted to social media showed mobs of protesters jumping turnstiles in DC Metro stations.
Then the videos showed the protesters took over moving trains and used megaphones to scream “Whose train? Our train!” and countless other chants.
The takeover of Metro trains is unprecedented in DC, according to local law enforcement.
Took a real fun ride on DC metro last night. Chants started w/“this is what community looks like!” Ended w/ppl getting off train station saying “Daunte Wright means we got to fight back!”#DCProtests for #DaunteWright pic.twitter.com/D2zDzas4II
— ChuckModi (@ChuckModi1) April 13, 2021
Protestors take over DC metro car.#washingtondc #protest #wmata pic.twitter.com/2PrZuIMtHX
— The Blitzed Brigadier 🏴☠️ (@BlitzedBrigDC) April 13, 2021
Black-clad protesters also marched through city streets chanting “This is what democracy looks like!” and clashed with police on multiple occasions.
Antifa takes to the streets of DC to protest Daunte Wright’s death. pic.twitter.com/7mNmVtaXB8
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) April 13, 2021
Justice for Daunte Wright protest tonight in DC#BlackLivesMatter #DCProtests #SayHisName
🎥 via @ChuckModi1
— Caroline Winslow Willauer (@CarolineWinslow) April 13, 2021
Protesters marched in Louisville on Monday night and shut down streets in the Highlands neighborhood, the Louisville Courier Journal reported.
Protesters are at the corner of Grinstead and Bardstown in #Louisville, blocking traffic and chanting #DaunteWright’s name. pic.twitter.com/JWixqU6d94
— Hayes Gardner (@HayesGardner) April 13, 2021
First they used traffic cones to block roadways, and then they set patio furniture and outdoor tables and chairs from nearby restaurants in the middle of the street to block intersections.
Police took down the makeshift barricades as quickly as they went up.
Louisville Metropolitan Police Department (LMPD) officials said officers monitored the protest but did not make any arrests, the Louisville Courier Journal reported.
Police in Portland, Oregon declared a riot after violent protesters clashed with officers following a vigil for Wright at Laurelhurst Park, KXL reported.
Press Release: (Update) – Crowd Riots At Penumbra Kelly Building – 47/Burnside (Photo)
Link: https://t.co/e6Q1g5ez1B pic.twitter.com/6MlgH28BtG— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) April 13, 2021
Rioters set fires and smashed windows at the Penumbra Kelly Building on Burnside Street where the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) is housed.
Here is a walk through of the damage at the Penumbra Kelly Building on East Burnside, after #portland police declared a riot last night. This is the latest #portlandriot in response to police killing #DaunteWright in #BrooklynCenter, Minnesota. #PortlandProtests pic.twitter.com/xZt0tE0g5r
— Elise Haas (@EliseKOIN) April 13, 2021
They also smashed the glass doors of a nearby church, KXL reported.
Police deployed flashbangs to push back the crowd at about 10:30 p.m. and gradually pushed the group back.
PPB said that rioters smashed windows and slashed tires on police cars in a separate incident in North Portland, KXL reported.
Holly Matkin
