FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - After an evening of peaceful protests in Fort Lauderdale, police worked to break up crowds using tear gas as those protests turned violent.
Spray paint was used and lots of windows belonging to local businesses were left shattered, Sunday night.
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis said, “These demonstrators that came afterwards were agitators. They knew something was going to happen. They knew it, because they were going to create it. They were going to make it happen.”
In a surveillance video, you can hear glass breaking on Las Olas Boulevard.
People out in the protests had mixed reactions to the demonstrations unfolding in South Florida.
Joyce Freire, a business owner, said, “I’m not mad at the protesters at all. I’m mad at the other ones. The other ones that take advantage.”
Authorities blamed agitators for the escalated violence.
Henry Leace, another business owner, said, “I don’t understand them. They’re not part of our community.”
The owner of Katon Salon spent Monday morning dealing with damage.
Andi Katon said, “Looks like a guy took a hammer to my window too. I understand the emotions, but it’s a lot of frustration that is directed at the wrong angle.”
Several locally-owned businesses took a hit to the tune of thousands of dollars in damage, just as they were working to get their doors back open.
Rod Andreychuk, the owner of Grand Central Stationary, said, “It’s very disheartening being a small business owner at this point.”
Chuck Bergwin, a co-owner of Taco Craft, said, “Obviously there are a lot of angry people. It’s very sad that they take it out on businesses like us.”
Surveillance caught looters stealing pricey bikes from a shop in downtown Miami.
Some tried to prevent protesters from entering a CVS in downtown Miami.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez said, “They prevented violence from destroying the good intentions of the protesters that are seeking justice.”
The FBI is asking for any video of those inciting the violence.
On Sunday, 30 people were booked into the county jail.
Trantalis said at least two were protesters arrested in his city.
For now, Fort Lauderdale will have a curfew.
Trantalis said, “We cannot allow this to continue to happen. We are not going to allow this to happen in Fort Lauderdale.”
The curfew is in place from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
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