Washington: Violence flared on the streets of Washington, D.C, on Friday as protesters smashed the windows of cars and store windows shortly before Donald Trump took the oath of office as the 45th US President.
Over 90 people were arrested, ABC news quoted Interim Police Chief Peter Newsham as saying in a Periscope video posted on Twitter.
He added that the problems were caused by one group, “and it’s a very, very small percentage of the number of folks that came here to peacefully assemble in our city.”
Police said in a statement that an organised group marched through the northwest part of the city at around 10.30 a.m., and that “members of the group acting in a concerted effort engaged in acts of vandalism and several instances of destruction of property.”
The police statement said the group damaged vehicles, destroyed the property of multiple businesses, and ignited smaller isolated fires” and that police vehicles were among those damaged.
Police said they responded using pepper spray and other control devices.
Dramatic video published on social media, showed men and women using signs and sticks to shatter glass at a Starbucks and a bank.
Chaos then swept the streets as police attempted to chase down the alleged vandals.
The #DisruptJ20 coalition, named after the date of the inauguration, which had promised that its participants would attempt to shut down the inauguration events, tangled with Bikers for Trump, a group clad in leather biker gear that backs the President.
—IANS