Berkeley protests against police killings in Missouri and New York turned violent for the second night in a row on Sunday, with demonstrators smashing the windows of local businesses, throwing wrenches and smoke grenades at officers, and vandalizing police vehicles.
According to NBC News, chants of "Turn it up, don't turn it down, shut it down for Michael Brown" and "I can't breathe" were heard throughout the night as protesters marched from Berkeley to Oakland, calling attention to the late Michael Brown and Eric Garner, both of whom died in recent months as a result of police actions.
The protesters were disbursed with tear gas after shutting down the eastbound lanes on Highway 24, lighting garbage cans on fire, and vandalizing City Hall. Officer Jennifer Coats said that the protests were mostly peaceful, but went downhill after two protestors smashed the windows of a Radio Shack on Shattuck Ave.
The perpetrators tried to steal electronics, but peaceful protesters surrounded the men, and threw the boxes back in the store. In the course of trying to stop the looters, one person was hit in the face with a hammer.
Two bank fronts near the University were vandalized, as were two cellphone carrier stores and The Cal Student Store.
California Highway Patrol arrested eight "aggressive protesters," and two CHP officers sustained minor injuries during the confrontations.
Much of the night's chaos was documented by Twitter users.
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