A pair of cops were quickly overrun and wrestled to the ground by angry protesters during massive anti-police-brutality rallies in Chicago, with one female officer being violently dragged for several feet.
A widely shared video, captured in the middle of heavy demonstrations over the death of George Floyd, shows the infuriated crowd swarm and hit two police officers as they apparently tried to detain a protester.
A fracas suddenly broke out, with the cops being aggressively pushed to the ground by the demonstrators. The male officer managed to get to his feet while protecting himself against several protesters.
He then tried to rescue his female partner, who was dragged and tossed along the pavement.
The physical altercation ended when bystanders urged the attackers to stop, forming a kind of protective ring around the officers.
Looks like ANTIFA to me. First the cops. Then they'll come after you. It's not racial. It's a subterfuge. It's political. They're using you. CHAOS: Police officers dragged through the street in Chicago
— BAT (@bat211) May 31, 2020
Thousands of demonstrators flocked to the streets of Chicago on Saturday, climbing on cars and buses, and engaging in clashes with police. Later on, the violence escalated, with some rioters smashing the windows of police SUVs and damaging buildings across the city as they marched through.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced a curfew for the city on Saturday evening, which will start at 9 pm local time and continue until 6 am “until further notice.” Local transportation companies suspended bus and train services on multiple lines as protests disrupted traffic across the city.