‘They told you to hang back?’ Police accused of just idly watching from patrol cars as violent clashes erupted between pro and anti-Trump groups during ‘Tax Day’ demonstrations
Hundreds were involved in ugly scenes in Berkeley, California, on Saturday
People from both the pro and anti-Trump groups were seen throwing rocks and other objects, while also taking part in wild brawls in the middle of the streets
Two police officers on the scene were filmed being asked why they ‘hung back’
Eventually, at least 21 people were arrested and six had to be taken to hospital
DAILYMAIL.COM
16 April 2017
Police officers have been accused of abandoning the scene of wild protests in Berkeley on Saturday, allowing shocking street brawls to go unchecked.
Thousands of people marched during ‘Tax Day’ demonstrations that were designed to pressure Donald Trump into releasing his tax returns.
The tax day protests in more than a dozen cities were largely peaceful, however hundreds of pro and anti-Trump demonstrators clashed in Berkeley, California.
And now new allegations have emerged claiming police officers were pulled back from the location of the most violent confrontations – which took place at Martin Luther King Jr Civic Center Park.
Mother Jones reporter Shane Bauer documented the violent clashes on Twitter, and at one point spoke to a pair of police officers near a squad car away from the demonstration.
‘Hey, how come you guys are hanging back?’ he asked an officer standing in an open door of the car and another sat in the back seat.
‘That would be a question for the chief of police,’ the cop sitting in the car replied.
‘It sounds like you want a public statement, right?’ the officer stood to the side then said. ‘I would refer you to our public information officer.’
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