Violent Rioters Breach Ohio Statehouse, Breaking Windows and Entering Building to Protest Death of George Floyd

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Rioters in Columbus, Ohio, launched an attack on the Statehouse in the early hours of Friday morning to protest the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Floyd, who was unarmed and subdued with handcuffs, died after a police officer pinned his neck to the ground with his knee and held it there until he stopped breathing.





Protests and riots are ongoing in several cities around the U.S., including Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn., Memphis, Tenn., Louisville, Ky., Denver, Colo., Los Angeles Calif., and Columbus, Ohio. 

The Statehouse in Columbus came under attack, with rioters breaking windows and some entering the building. There are unconfirmed reports that the protesters damaged the interior of the building.





Authorities wasted no time breaking up the attack on the Statehouse, sending in the SWAT team to disburse the crowd. Officers used a loudspeaker to announce that an emergency had been declared and ordered protesters to leave the area. Throughout the night and into the morning police deployed pepper spray, tear gas, and flash-bangs to control the crowd:

Protesters also burned flags on the grounds of the Capitol:

 

The protest began peacefully at around 8 p.m. local time but escalated throughout the night:





As of publishing time, the crowd in Columbus had diminished, but some protesters remained.

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RELATED: Minneapolis Police Precinct on Fire, Police Abandon Area, as Riots Over Death of George Floyd Escalate

 

 



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