Police Declare Riot On Capitol Hill

SEATTLE, WA — Police have declared a riot in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood after protesters rallying against biased policing and Seattle police officers clashed.

It's unclear exactly how tensions between protesters and police escalated, but many reporters and eyewitness accounts on scene indicate that, starting around 9 p.m. police began firing off a large amount of tear gas and flash bang grenades in an attempt to deter the crowd.

The Seattle Times' Paige Cornwell tweeted that an MSNBC reporter was hit with a flashbang while reporting live from the protest.

The Seattle Police Department declared the protest a riot just minutes later. Another video shared by Rich Smith with The Stranger shows tear gas canisters set off in Cal Anderson Park.

Seattle Police claim that their officers are responding to protesters who have thrown rocks and bottles at officers near their East Precinct.

However, some witness accounts say it was the police who turned a peaceful demonstration into a violent alteraction.

Despite the riot designation, just blocks away other footage shows protesters peacefully demonstrating.

The Capitol Hill protest was just one of many protests planned throughout western Washington Monday.

Related stories:

King County Cities Renew Curfews, Prepare For More Demonstrations