Riot was declared by police during a Seattle protest Saturday following large demonstrations in Capitol Hill.

In a tweet, Seattle police said they declared a riot due to damage and risks to public safety. They claimed that a group of12 people set fire to a construction site, causing explosions.

The Seattle Police Department (SPD) deployed flash bangs and pepper sprays as they tried to clear an "occupied protest zone" that has been in the area for weeks and occupies several blocks, Al Jazeera reported.

SPD also tweeted pictures with more details on the riot. According to Associate Press, arrests were made for assaults on officers, obstruction, and failure to disperse.

They also said they are looking into a possible explosive damage to the walls of their East Precinct police station.

Rocks, bottles and mortars were said to be thrown at officers as they tried to clear the area. One of them was sent to the hospital for a leg injury caused by an explosive and two other had medical treatment but were able to return to duty.

Law enforcers also report damage to their King County Court facility where protesters broke windows and damaged cars. There were also reports of destroyed businesses and spray painting at the East Precinct in attempts to disable security cameras in the area, Fox News said in their report.

No Police Presence at First

Thousands of protesters first gathered peacefully by downtown Seattle to show their unity with fellow protesters in Portland. The protests started in late May, following the killing of George Floyd.

There was no sign of law enforcement near the Seattle march area at first but police later on said that there was a breach in the construction site for the King County facility.

Anti-riot Gear Banned

The incident comes as Seattle is in the process of making a new law take effect on Sunday. It "bans Seattle Police officers the use of less-lethal tools, including pepper spray that is commonly used to disperse crowds that have turned violent," police Chief Carmen Best said in a statement.

It also bans the use of anti-riot gear once it takes effect.

Chief Best said the law makes sure officers will not be able to do safe mediation when they try to save property in the midst of a "large, violent crowd".

The request was blocked through a request by the federal government. U.S. District Judge James Robart granted the request.

Last month, the new law was passed unanimously by the Seattle City Council in hopes of reducing brutal clashes between the police and protesters.

Before the Saturday protests, Best announced that officers will be armed with pepper spray and other weapons but promised there won't be any use of tear gas. He urged the protesters to stay peaceful.

"In the spirit of offering trust and full transparency, I want to advise you that SPD officers will be carrying pepper spray and blast balls today," Best said. He said this is just usual for events that may hold potential for violence.

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