Protest Brings Night Of Unrest In Downtown Sacramento

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – City hall was vandalized, windows were shattered and graffiti was spray-painted in a protest that occurred in downtown on Saturday night, the Sacramento Police Department said.

At least one woman was arrested after police said they spotted her spray-painting city hall and located her later on with rocks, spray paint and body armor. Her identity has not yet been released.

Authorities said a peaceful protest began at around 7 p.m. with demonstrators moving from Cesar Chavez Park to the Capitol.

Sacramento police said in a news release that a separate group of approximately 150 protesters was spotted at around 9 p.m. in Cesar Chavez Park wearing all black clothing and protective gear like body armor, helmets and shields.

"We can't help if other groups of people decide to come after us or latch on to what we're doing and end up destroying protest and it may seem like it's us," Bobbie Wooten, co-founder of The Racial Harmony Project, which organized Saturday's peaceful protest, said.

Police said this group was also in possession of weapons including metal pipes and rocks.

This large group of protesters moved through the streets of downtown and vandalized multiple buildings and trees as well as throwing objects in the roadways to create hazards, police said. Several security cameras in the area were also spray painted.

"I think understanding that they're very emotional right now for good reason. But I just don't think they have a good strategy of what they're doing," Hannah Selene in downtown Sacramento said.

"I don't think what they're doing is going overall get the message that they want to convey across," Maxine Tahara in downtown Sacramento said.

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg sent out a tweet on Sunday in response to Saturday night's activity. Steinberg said there is no need for "organized destruction" and said the "real work the community is pushing for" should be what brings about change.

Steinberg also said the city stands with Portland, which has seen multiple confrontations between protesters and federal officers that were deployed to the city by the White House.

Sacramento detectives said they learned the large group of protesters late in the night was advised to prepare to use unlawful tactics during the protest. A TV news crew also reportedly assaulted, according to the police department.

The Sacramento Police Department said the investigation remains active and encourages any potential witnesses with information, or surveillance footage to contact the department.

Wooten said she does worry a situation like Portland happening hundreds of miles away could happen here if more vandalism occurs.

"If we have, you know, this potential same situation as Portland, yes, that concerns me," Wooten said. "I also feel like as we try as hard as possible to push our positive message, then eventually, everything else will calm down."

Wooten did say she feels for the businesses that got hit during the violent protests.

She told CBS13 that she's not necessarily angry and doesn't want their group's message to be ignored following an incident like Saturday night's.