HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) – Police in north Alabama on Wednesday night used smoke and tear gas to sweep protesters out of a town square in Huntsville.
Video of the chaotic scene streamed by WHNT, WAFF and other media outlets showed law enforcement agents wearing gas masks and riot gear advancing on the crowd after protesters refused an order to leave the area.
Law enforcement officers deployed smoke canisters and a chemical agent. The crowd began running away and the video showed some demonstrators crying and using water to wash out their eyes.
“Do you see how they treat people,” one woman asked to the camera.
Lt. Michael Johnson, a spokesman for the Huntsville Police Department, told WHNT that the crowd refused an order to leave. He said the crowd was breaking the law by refusing to leave and they had concerns the situation was about to turn volatile.