Rochester Police clashed with more than a thousand Black Lives Matter protesters for a third night in downtown Rochester, with nine people arrested on charges ranging from unlawful assembly to rioting and assaulting an officer. Monroe County Legislator Rachel Barnhart says she was hit by pepper balls along with City Councilmembers Mary Lupien and Mitch Gruber. Three police officers were injured.
Barnhart says she marched with Free The People ROC in a peaceful demonstration from Jefferson Avenue to downtown. She says police blocked the way at Court and Exchange Streets and told them it was an illegal demonstration and to go home. Barnhart says someone began throwing plastic bottles at police, then a firework. Police responded by opening fire with pepper balls and tear gas, one of which hit her in the head.
Police say the crowd dispersed except for 50-to-100 people they call "agitators" who continued to throw items at police and began breaking windows at City Hall. Police say they gradually advanced on those demonstrators and had forced them out of the area by 1:00 a.m.
(13 WHAM photo)