A protest in Oakland, California took a violent turn after a small group of demonstrators set fire to a courthouse, vandalized a police station and shot fireworks at officers, authorities said.

Amid the Oakland protest, fires were set in the downtown area, with one of them alighting at the Alameda County Superior Courthouse. The fire was contained quickly.

The protest was done in support of racial justice and police reform and the Oakland protesters wore helmets and goggles as they carried large signs. The signs doubled as shields as the courthouse fire went up, Associated Press reported.

Unlike Prior Protests

Around 700 people took part in the protest. It started as a peaceful march Saturday night but some of those who participated broke from the larger group.

The protesters threw rocks, ceramic paint-filled balls and bottles of frozen water through windows at the courthouse, federal building and police building.

Groups such as the "Wall of Moms" faced off with U.S. agents deployed to the city to guard the courthouse. The "Wall of Moms" is similar to a group the formed in a Portland protest.

Demonstrators also spray-painted graffiti and pointed lasers at officers, said Oakland Police Department spokersperson Officer Johnna Watson.

In an ABC report, they noted a video posted by police showing a man kicking down barricades in front of the building. An "unlawful assembly" was declared by the police at around 11:30 p.m. and officers asked the crowd to break up.

Watson said it was not like the other peaceful marches that took place in the city for the past weeks.

Watson noted that the protesters had clear intentions of participating in one way or another and added that there was a "nexus" with all of those who took part. "Whether that's carrying backpacks in with clearly very heavy items, and the smaller group would actually be engaged in doing the damage."

Police said they made several arrests, though details have not been provided. Reports on injuries to officers or protesters were not immediately reported.

The protests are believed to have happened every night since late May. President Trump sent the federal agents to clamp down on such protests since.

A Weekend of Protests

California is not the only state that saw protests turning violent. Politico was able to keep record of the protests that took place over the weekend.

In Portland, protesters breached a courthouse fence where agents have been stationed. Seattle also saw protests. A fire was set in their East Precinct as protesters show solidarity with Portland.

Richmond, Virginia's capital, was also venue for a dump truck that was torched to also support the Portland protesters. What appeared to be tear gas was used to break up the group.

A protest in Austin also turned dangerous, even leading to the death of a protester as a person drove through a crowd of marchers. Another person was also shot and wounded in Aurora, Colorado as a car drove through the protest too, authorities said.

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf warned, in a statement Sunday, of the possibility to use vandalism as a means to justify sending federal agents to the city. She rejected that proposal.

Schaaf said they support the passionate protest of those from Oakland but said if people attend protests after dark, "they may be providing cover for agitators who are more intent on stoking civil unrest than advancing racial justice."

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