LIVE UPDATES: Demonstrators Clash With Police Downtown, 24 People Arrested
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Demonstrators were clashing with police around the Loop Saturday evening, with police deploying pepper spray.
Protests were held earlier in Millennium Park and moved onto Michigan Avenue, Randolph Street, and LaSalle Street as they grew more heated.
Earlier, despite plans to shut down the Dan Ryan Expressway, protesters Saturday afternoon did not make it onto the expressway.
LIVE UPDATES:
9:28 p.m.: Chicago Police Supt. David Brown says the day began peacefully, with no reported incidents with the march that headed north from the city's South Side.
But in a separate protest downtown on Saturday evening, Brown said multiple agitators "hijacked a peaceful protest."
He said the group deployed large, black umbrellas and changed their appearance before assaulting officers – similar to what police reported several weeks ago at a protest near the since-removed Christopher Columbus statue in Grant Park.
Officers were assaulted with chemical spray, bottles, skateboards, among other things, Brown said. A total of 17 officers were being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Brown said police made 24 arrests – four of them for felony aggravated battery to a police officer.
He said officers deployed pepper spray for their protection, and two protesters were treated at the scene.
9:12 p.m.
Chicago Police are preparing to hold a news conference regarding clashes that left officers and protesters hurt in the Loop demonstrations Saturday night.
8:05 p.m.
CBS 2's Steven Graves reports chaos seems to have concluded at Adams and LaSalle streets. Graves reports he can't spot any more people in the distance, and police say the crowd has dispersed.
7:40 p.m.: CBS 2's Steven Graves reports he has counted at least five protesters being arrested and placed into a police wagon on LaSalle Street.
7:29 p.m.: Clashes keep happening on LaSalle Street in the Loop. CBS 2's Steven Graves reports the news media is being kept back, but you can see bike after bike being thrown out of crowd.
Arrests followed. Police were writing numbers on people while ahead of them, the line of police held strong.
7:15 p.m. Police clashed with protesters outside City Hall at Randolph and LaSalle streets. CBS 2's Steven Graves reported it looked like people got tripped up on bikes.
Afterward, it seemed like the protesters were back to marching, as medics treated those who were injured.
Protesters and police were seen rustling with umbrellas, bikes. Mace also came out.
7:07 p.m.: Police and protesters were clashing at Dearborn and Randolph streets.
6:51 p.m. CBS 2's Steven Graves reports protesters created their own barrier of bikes on Michigan Avenue downtown, with Chicago Police trailing.
Demonstrators say police tear gassed them at one point.
At LaSalle Street, where the Chicago River bridge was not raised, police horses stood guard.
6:38 p.m.: Twitter photos show a large group of protesters and police officers gathered in the area of Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive. The Michigan Avenue Bridge has been raised, and police were reportedly trying to move the protesters into the Loop.
4:55 p.m.: Protesters were seen near the Cloud Gate sculpture, or the Bean, at Millennium Park. Police shut down several downtown streets.
The Millennium Park protest called for defunding the Chicago Police Department and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
4:21 p.m.: Reports on Twitter indicated that protesters were making their way to Millennium Park.
2:21 p.m.: Chicago Police say "small crowd size" is the reason they aren't allowing marchers onto the Dan Ryan Expressway.
1:51 p.m.: CBS 2's Marissa Parra reports there have been several heated confrontations between residents and the barricade of state police blocking them from where they live in Bronzeville.
State Police told the residents to go around the block the next street over, but they can't pass through on 35th Street.
1:49 p.m.: Protesters are headed north on Indiana Avenue around 37th Street. CBS 2's Jeremy Ross reports the protest is peaceful and is composed of a combination of at least half a dozen groups, and hundreds of people in total.
1:40 p.m.: CBS 2's Marissa Parra reports Illinois State Police with face shields and batons are out blocking westbound 35th Street at Indiana Avenue — the path between protesters and Chicago's Dan Ryan expressway
State Police are not letting anyone — including residents — pass through.
1:36 p.m.: CBS 2's Jeremy Ross reports a small number of protesters were spotted trying to walk onto the Dan Ryan at 47th Street, but did not make it and ended up going back the other way.
1:10 p.m.: Protesters marched down Indiana Avenue heading northbound past 46th Street. Smaller groups were waiting for protesters on the Dan Ryan for almost an hour.
"Why is there a blockade of police? I thought they said we were allowed to march here today" said one protester.
