Hundreds of people were arrested nationwide this weekend in protests over the police killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. In Baton Rouge in particular, police responded aggressively, and in fully militarized style, to protests. As Iraq and Afghanistan veteran Brandon Friedman tweeted:
Baton Rouge PD looks ridiculous. I never wore so much armor in combat. This is their own community.
According to many reports, police escalated the confrontations:
When protesters moved their demonstration to the street outside of police headquarters on Friday night, police met them in riot gear, pounding on shields with their batons to make a deafening and repetitive thud.
Police had no megaphone or bullhorn as they ordered protesters to stay on the grass and out of the street. Police arrested 31 people that night, nearly all of them after they stepped into the roadway and were rushed by police and dragged away to police wagons.
Reporters weren't safe from arrest, and in one case were pressed into a 10-foot zone and threatened with arrest. According to Baton Rouge officials, two police officers were injured.