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Second night of protests in Richmond ends with more than 20 arrests

Police stand in front of a utility vehicle that was set on fire by protesters during a demonstration outside the Richmond Police Department headquarters on Grace Street in Richmond, Va., Saturday, July 25, 2020. Police deployed flash-bangs and pepper spray to disperse the crowd after the city utility vehicle was set on fire. (Joe Mahoney/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)

RICHMOND, Va. (News Nation/WRIC) — Fires were set, windows were smashed and more than 20 people were arrested as demonstrations continued for a second night in Virginia’s capital city.

Richmond police Chief Gerald Smith said at a news conference Monday that a flyer calling for demonstrations Sunday carried the same tone of “intimidation” as flyers did for Saturday night’s protests.


They had been billed by some as support for protesters in Portland, Oregon. That city has been experiencing ongoing tensions between protesters and U.S. agents at the federal courthouse.

Richmond’s police chief said Sunday night’s damage included three fires as well as a smashed window at the police departmekoint for Virginia Commonwealth University.

There was a wide array of charges on Sunday, according to News Nation affiliate WRIC. Most of them people were charged with trespassing, rioting, rioting with a weapon and blocking roadways. Rioting with a weapon is a felony. At least two people were charged with rioting with a weapon.