BROCKTON, MASS. (WHDH) - A peaceful protest became tense in Brockton Tuesday night after hundreds of demonstrators showed up to decry racial injustice and remember George Floyd, who died last week after an officer knelt on his neck for several minutes.
As night fell, the crowd gathered at the Brockton Police Department on Commercial Street and began launching fireworks and throwing rocks, bottles, and sticks at officers, who responded with tear gas.
The National Guard and state police troopers were called in and in accordance with local police have shut down the area and begun pushing the demonstrators back to clear the intersection near Court Street.
Tense scene outside Brockton PD. Police have deployed gas canisters to control the crowd. pic.twitter.com/OtHrB3lruD
— Eric Kane (@EricKaneTV) June 3, 2020
As they were being pushed back, many demonstrators silently took a knee in front of the expanding police line. Peaceful people were allowed to stay in the area.
Shortly thereafter the protesters began chanting “We can’t breathe,” and a small group began launching firecrackers once again.
The demonstrators began congregating on the front lawn of the West Middle School on West Elm Street earlier in the day and were scheduled to march to the Brockton Police Station however, officers later told 7NEWS those plans were scrapped.
Regardless, a number of protesters began marching in that direction.
Organizers called for a peaceful protest which received a positive response from the crowd gathered earlier in the night.
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