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Police have not given an estimate of the number of protesters,
but Arizona media said there were several thousand. Police did
not say whether the pepper spray was used on pro- or anti-Trump
protesters, or both.
"People in the crowd have begun throwing rocks and bottles at
police," Phoenix Police Department spokesman Sergeant Jonathan
Howard said.
"Police have responded with pepper balls and OC (oleoresin
capsicum) spray in an attempt to disperse the crowd and stop the
assaults," he said.
Four people were arrested during the protest, Phoenix Police
Chief Jeri Williams said during a news conference.
"We had tens of thousands of people downtown peacefully
exercising their first amendment rights," Williams said. "What’s
unfortunate is that a very small number of individuals chose
criminal conduct."
Police called on the crowds to disperse. Many of the protesters
quit the scene, while dozens of police in riot gear and carrying
shields sought to clear remaining protesters from the downtown
area.
The Phoenix Fire Department said it treated 56 people for heat
exhaustion and dehydration at the convention center. Twelve
people were taken to the hospital.
(Reporting by David Schwartz and Keith Coffman; Writing by Jon
Herskovitz; Editing by Paul Tait and Simon Cameron-Moore, Larry
King)
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