UPDATED: 6/2/2020, 9:20 a.m.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Sixty-five people were arrested during a protest in Providence, Rhode Island Monday night. Demonstrators took to the streets to demand justice following the killing of George Floyd.
Of those arrested, five were from Massachusetts.
The protest turned violent around midnight. Protesters broke into Providence Place Mall and a set a police cruiser on fire. The mall and other nearby shops and businesses were looted.
Authorities in Providence say officers and troopers were hit by bricks during the protest. Less than a dozen officers were injured, and five police vehicles were damaged.
Police deployed tear gas on the demonstrators causing most of the crowd to scatter.
Providence Commissioner of Public Safety Steven Paré condemned the violence and the looting.
"They’re nothing but criminals when they come and do that kind of thing," he said.
WBZ NewsRadio's Chris Fama (@CFamaWBZ) reports
Follow WBZ NewsRadio: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | iHeartmedia App
(Photo: Chris Fama/WBZ NewsRadio)