Minimal damage downtown after 20 arrested in Berkeley Trump protest clash
BERKELEY, Calif. (KGO) -- A clash between Trump supporters and opponents in Berkeley's Civic Park this weekend led to at least 20 arrests, but there was little downtown damage. City officials are praising the police for how they handled the clash.
"There wasn't a whole lot of damage to business like we saw with the Milo event. There were some injuries but they were really people fighting each other. There weren't innocent people put in harms way," said Berkeley mayor Jesse Arreguin.
At least 20 people arrested for felonies, including assaults, 11 were injured in the clash between Trump supporters and opponents.
The brawl eventually spilled into the streets and closed the downtown Berkeley BART station on Saturday. One bank had a plate glass window broken. A security guard told ABC7 News that they saw protesters hurling Pepsi cans filled with cement at it.
Some residents say they couldn't leave their homes on Saturday. "There was a lot of people in each other's faces, cursing at each other which is unnecessary to express yourself and you just wonder when someone's going to throw a punch," said Marc McConnaughey, a Berkeley resident.
"Weapons were confiscated included a stun gun, bear spray, and mace. These are all things people brought to this event," said Matthai Chakko, a spokesperson for the city of Berkeley.
A farmers market and some businesses closed just in case. "I get scared about the damage or something so we decided to close early," said Kristen Chu a bagel shop owner.
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Some say it was better handled than a similar protest on March 4th. "I saw believe it or not alot less violence and more debate. There were spaces where people were having a real debate about real issues," said Ben Bartlett, a Berkeley City Councilmember.
Police also asked for the public's help and they got it. More than 150 photos and videos were uploaded to the police website by Monday morning so there could be more arrests in the coming days.
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