Nevada leaders urge demonstrators to peacefully protest

RENO, Nev. (AP) — After two days of violent protests in Las Vegas over the death in Minnesota of George Floyd, city and state officials along with community leaders on Sunday said they supported people protesting — as long as they do it peacefully.

Meanwhile in Reno, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak activated the state’s national guard after City Hall was damaged by protesters. At a Sunday news conference, Sisolak had a harsh message for protesters who came to Reno to riot: “Get the hell out of town.”

At a news conference in Las Vegas, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford said he encouraged “those who obviously are really in pain right now to engage in their constitutional right to protest.”

“You should do it. We want you to do that,” he said. “We want you to do it peacefully, however.”

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Later Sunday evening, law enforcement officers used non-lethal rounds and tear gas to break up a crowd of protesters on the south side of the Las Vegas Strip, near the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. It wasn’t immediately clear what prompted the exchange.

Some demonstrators told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that they had been hit with rubber bullets. The newspaper said two of its reporters had also been shot with the rubber rounds, as was at least one television reporter.

At the earlier news conference, city leaders urged calm but rejected imposing a curfew after protesters clashed with police Friday and Saturday nights during protests over the death of Floyd, a black man who died after a white Minneapolis police office pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck even after he stopped moving and pleading for air.

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman noted there had been discussions over a possible curfew for the city. However, Sheriff Joe Lombardo said the action would be “too harsh” because police believe those behind the property damage and destruction were outsiders, Las Vegas television station KSNV reported.

Undersheriff Kevin C. McMahill said the metropolitan police department will do what it can to make sure those who peacefully protest can continue to do so.

“However, over the course of the last couple of days, we know that there is a number of individuals that have come here to create lawlessness and fear, to damage property and to hurt people,” he said.

He said 25 officers have had to be treated after being hit by rocks, frozen water bottles or by fires.

Those who are not peacefully protesting will be arrested, McMahill said.

Police deployed tear gas to disperse the crowd near downtown Las Vegas Saturday night, and 103 people were arrested.

Police said some protesters broke off, where they sprayed graffiti on buildings, destroyed property and ransacked a pawn shop after breaking in. One patrol car was burned, and two others were damaged, along with city and county buildings.

Those arrests followed the arrest of 80 people Friday during a protest on the Las Vegas Strip.

Sisolak on Sunday activated the Nevada National Guard after protesters broke windows at Reno’s City Hall and set fires Saturday night. City officials instituted an immediate mandatory curfew.

Police fired tear gas into the building, and the Rene Gazette Journal reported a SWAT team arrived to help disperse the crowd. The fires were extinguished.

At a news conference Sunday at the Reno Police Department, Mayor Hillary Schieve said rioters will be prosecuted.

“If you were rioting in our streets and doing things that were harmful to our city we will not tolerate that,” she said.

In announcing the curfew in a statement, Reno officials asked city residents to avoid the downtown area, where a “heavy police presence” would be in force Sunday night.