20 arrested, 5 injured in Anaheim melee

A man is arrested by police near the corner of Broadway and Anaheim Blvd. Tuesday night as police attempt to disperse the unruly crowd

Update: With more than 20 people under arrest, police reported restoring order Wednesday  morning after a fourth day of clashes between officers and protesters angry over two fatal officer-involved shootings in Anaheim last weekend.

At least five people were reported hurt in the unrest, with crowds setting fires, smashing windows and throwing rocks and other projectiles at officers in riot gear who fired non-lethal rounds at demonstrators refusing to disperse.

One person was taken to a hospital after being struck in the head with a pepper ball fired by police. Two Register reporters were injured – one was hit in the head with a rock and the other hit in the foot with a projectile. Both will get medical attention today.

A police officer suffered a minor arm injury, said Sgt. Bob Dunn, an Anaheim police spokesman.

Additionally, one person was injured during a fight among protesters.

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ANAHEIM – Police battled "pockets of unrest" in downtown Anaheim late Tuesday night, hours after a large crowd attempting to get inside City Hall broke into violent protest.

About 20 minutes before Tuesday's 5 p.m. City Council meeting, a 200-strong crowd tried to get inside the packed City Hall.

They were rebuffed by police officers who cited fire standards and would not let anyone else into the crowded council chambers, where the council held its regular meeting and talked about what the crowd was upset about: two police shootings over the weekend.

A half-dozen officers blocked City Hall's entrance, while the crowd gathered around and hurled obscenities. As the crowd pressed closer, officers with helmets and batons came out the front door and pushed the protesters back, angering them.

After several minutes, some protesters called for everyone to hit the street.

For the next five-hours-plus, the tug of war between protesters and police persisted.

The crowd marched along Anaheim Boulevard to Lincoln Avenue, going into the street and blocking traffic.

Some pounded traffic signs and pulled trash cans into the street, while others pulled back the cans. One man with a bullhorn shouted how the protest was to be peaceful. A boy spray-painted a utility box. Some protesters grabbed sand from flower beds and a traffic cone and threw them at officers.

Anaheim police were assisted by officers from Garden Grove, Tustin, Brea, Fullerton and other agencies.

About 7:40, police lined across Broadway and in front of City Hall in riot gear. The crowd, now 500 strong and peaceful, stood about. Women with strollers came out to take a look. A church handed out fliers, "Jesus loves you. Come to our church."

At 8 p.m., police from a helicopter's speaker told the crowd to leave the Broadway/Anaheim Boulevard intersection or face arrest. Few, if any, budged.

Authorities announced a dispersal order at Anaheim and Broadway shortly before 9 p.m., then released pepper balls at the feet of the protesters, prompting the crowd to move rapidly away.

Some regrouped nearby, while others scattered throughout downtown.

Police took at least five people into custody, one for resisting arrest, said Sgt. Bob Dunn. A fight between demonstrators left one person "significantly injured," but the victim is expected to survive.

Rocks were thrown at police throughout the protests. Officers deployed bean bags and pepper balls.

Numerous trash bin fires in nearby neighborhoods were reported throughout the evening. The crowd also broke windows to some downtown businesses, including a Starbucks.

Earlier in the evening, four or five men were seen filling 1-gallon glass bottles with gasoline and placing rags in them at an Arco Station at Anaheim Boulevard and Broadway, said Jon Dunton, a legal representative for the business. Police were called and directed employees to shut down the pumps.

While the number of protesters decreased throughout the night, police said those who remained were "intent on causing trouble."

"They seem to be destructive," Dunn said.

Police expected to remain on alert throughout the night. By 10:30 p.m. the large groups had dispersed, but there were more than 100 scattered protesters causing "pockets of unrest" in the downtown area, Dunn said.

"We hope to restore order by the morning," Dunn said.

Tim Pool, an independent journalist who goes by Timcast on Ustream and Twitter, did a live webcast from the Anaheim protests.

On his webcast, at least six fires could be seen within about... REST 'O THE STORY