DENVER — Police Chief Paul Pazen said Denver officers confiscated weapons in the protest area Saturday afternoon, including canisters of gasoline.
Pazen in an interview with Denver7 showed a picture of some of the weapons that officers found inside of a backpack, including a hatchet and a heavy chain. Pazen said officers also found two five-gallon canisters of gas that were planted in the area.
Unfortunately the actions of a few agitators are hijacking the memory and life of George Floyd. To use this tragedy to inflict harm on our community is inexcusable. These are a few items confiscated today that were intended to disrupt and cause damage to our city. pic.twitter.com/1SQ7tj1b6K
— Denver Police Dept. (@DenverPolice) May 31, 2020
"Nothing like that has any place in a peaceful protest and we need to make sure that the good people of Denver who want to have their voices heard, they police themselves," Pazen said. "They make sure these individual agitators do not take control or hijack their peaceful message."
Pazen said, "We do have individuals who are not Denverites who are coming into our city to cause great harm."
"We want to support people who peacefully march but we will hold those people accountable, these agitators that are hijacking this very important and powerful message that we as a country are facing," Pazen said.
Tensions began to escalate between police and protesters about 6 p.m., when officers began deploying tear gas canisters and pepper balls to disperse crowds.
Tensions began to escalate between police and protesters about 6 p.m., when officers began deploying tear gas canisters and pepper balls to disperse crowds.
