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'This Was Not Protest. This Was Anarchy.' Demonstrators Vandalize Mayor Steinberg's Sacramento House

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The home of Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg was found to have been vandalized after a protest over the weekend.

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Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg inspecting the damage to his house. (Credit: Mary Lynne Vellinga)

Protesters converged on the mayor's Greenhaven area home on Saturday after originally gathering at a park nearby.

Sacramento police say many of the demonstrators who marched to Steinberg's private home were dressed in all black - with some wearing helmets, armor and shields.

After marching to the mayor's house, police say the demonstrators threw rocks, stole security cameras and destroyed lighting fixtures at Steinberg's home. Further, police say the group also allegedly barricaded the front door with landscaping debris.

In a statement released on Monday, Steinberg denounced the protest.

"What happened Saturday night was not protest. They involved my family. My family did not get elected. I did. They damaged my home and destroyed a cherished homemade piece of art. They threw rocks at my front door. They shouted my kids' names over and over," Steinberg wrote.

Messages were also written in chalk were also left on the driveway.

The demonstrators dispersed after officers moved in and declared an unlawful assembly, police say.

No other damage has been reported from other homes in the area.

Steinberg claimed many of the people involved in the vandalism weren't from Sacramento.

"This was not protest. This was anarchy. You want to challenge me, challenge me at City Hall. Challenge me in the community. Challenge me at the ballot box," Steinberg wrote.

In total, police say the demonstrators caused thousands of dollars in damage.

"The Sacramento Police Department unequivocally supports the expression of everyone's First Amendment rights. However, what happened at the Mayor's residence was not an expression of First Amendment rights. It was a group of people dedicated to the destruction of a local leader's property," said Sacramento Police Chief Daniel Hahn in a statement.

No arrests have been made, but police say they are investigating the incident and trying to identify anyone involved in the vandalism.

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