Activists started a fire inside the courthouse in the U.S. city of Oakland amid unrest over the shooting of African American man Jacob Blake by law enforcement officers, the city’s police department said on Thursday.
SEE ALSO: Biden Scrambles to Save his campaign in New Hampshire
The protests started peacefully on Wednesday but later escalated into clashes with police and people setting fires, breaking windows, and throwing bottles and other objects at officers.
“Violent protesters vandalized and started a fire at the Alameda County Superior Court. (The Oakland Fire Department) is on scene.
“Please stay clear of the area,” the Oakland police tweeted.According to the police, 600-700 people took part in the protests.
Several people have been arrested.Blake, 29, was shot in the back by police at close range on Sunday in Kenosha, a city located in the state of Wisconsin, while he was reportedly trying to break up a fight between two women.
His father said the man had been shot seven times, which left him paralysed from the waist down.The events ignited a new wave of protests against police brutality and racial discrimination in the U.S., which initially started with the death of another African American man, George Floyd, in police custody on May 25.