I’m in civic center park in Denver where day 2 of #GeorgeFloyd protests continue. Crowd is on the move again, headed down Broadway now.

Officers are walking through Broadway and SWAT is here.

There are young kids here. High school, middle school. Someone is holding a baby. The crowd is headed down 16th Street Mall now

This is 20-year-old Asa Willett having milk poured in her eyes. She said she was gassed about 2 hours ago here and the burn keeps coming back. “I’m here today because I was 15 when Ferguson happened and I don’t know how the rest of the world moved on.”

I’m starting to feel raindrops. Crowd continues moving down 16th Street Mall. People are on the patios of restaurants gawking and some restaurants are closing their windows as people chant, march by

Denver School Board member Tay Anderson and other young adults are in the middle of the crowd talking. I can’t hear what’s being said but people are cheering and chanting “hands up, don’t shoot”

We’re at Stout and 17th. From where I’m at, all seems peaceful.

Tay Anderson leading the chants again. We are at 17th and Tremont.

We are headed back to the Capitol now. Crowd is chanting the names of black Americans who have died in police custody.

I know this isn’t a novel observation, but the mass mourning of black life in the midst of a pandemic with people wearing masks over their faces is just an overwhelming thing to see with your own eyes.

Tay Anderson is here again introducing other black elected officials like State Rep. Leslie Herod and RTD director Shontel Lewis

Crowd now chanting “black women matter.”

Anderson said he wants media to take note that this is what happens when community comes together.

Anderson said there’s a difference between this protest and the kind of protest “when Karen wants a haircut”

Black women being asked to come forward and are walking onto the raised steps. Chants of “black women matter” filling civic center park.

I’ve seen several protesters passing out water bottles and checking in on people who look a little overheated. Temps were in the 90s when I got here but rain clouds are overhead blocking the sun.

Sounds like protest is breaking up a bit. Anderson is asking people to make sure POC are safe as they walk back to their cars.

Anderson said “we don’t want you all to get rained on.”

After people started dispersing and heading home, others said “why are we stopping” and started walking to the Capitol. Group has kind of splintered here.

Just overheard two people walking by. One said “what is this all about?” in reference to the protest and the other shrugged.

Amazing when you’re so submerged in news to hear something like this and be reminded some are seriously unplugged.

This is back at the Capitol where some protestors split off to after the main protest started dispersing and heading home.

These white young men are spray painting the statue in front of the Colorado Capitol.

Crowd now chanting at Capitol “who do you serve? Who do you protect?”

It’s starting to rain now.

I’m not totally sure what’s going on, but apparently counter protestors came and now protestors are shouting “go home” at them and crowding around them to move them out of the Capitol grounds

Everyone has their first raised in the air, being led in chants. “It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love and support one another. We have nothing to lose but our chains.”

Youth were just asked to come to the Capitol steps. “This is why we fight.”

Okay, another march is about to start shortly.

Here’s the scene at the Colorado Capitol on Day 2 of the #GeorgeFloyd protests. I’m told there’s going to be another march. They’re planning to walk to the downtown detention center, go by the mint, go to city and county building.

And we’re off. Crowd is on the move.

This is a Denver family. Hamilton Biruck,12, his dad Biruck Moti and his 5-year-old daughter Edelawite Biruck. Dad Biruck Moti said he’s here because he’s afraid for his kids and himself. He said they are going to grow up in this world so they are here for justice.

Denver Police spraying tear gas and shooting something, not sure if pepper spray or rubber bullets. We made it to downtown detention center when it started. Everyone scrambling, coughing, running.

I saw protestors yelling at cops through a chain link fence when they began spraying at them. Not sure what else transpired. Hard to breathe.

Minutes after I took a photo of a little boy and girl and their dad, tear gas through the crowd. I keep looking for the family. Not sure where they went. Police are standing guard on the other side of the fence of the downtown detention center w/ either rubber bullets or pepper

This is the standoff happening between the fence. Protestors yelling at police through fence. I’m told the tear gas was shot bc protestors were throwing water bottles at them

Tay Anderson has come out of the crowd and is telling people to stop throwing rocks and leave the area.

Majority of the crowd is now at the City and County Building

Things are much calmer at the city and county building from where I’m at. Large crowd, but folks gathered on the steps chanting.

Tay Anderson encouraging the crowd to be peaceful

Protestor speaking saying that his daughter needs to know her daddy will be OK tonight and that people in the crowd need to be peaceful to make sure that happens. And that being peaceful doesn’t mean they are scared but is strategic.

Protestors here speaking are condemning the chaos of the protests last night. “This is a peaceful protest and the reason we say peaceful” is because if they come here and aren’t peaceful, they get shot.

Protestors speaking to the majority of the crowd are saying if they’re going to stay with this crowd, led by Tay Anderson and others, that they need to be peaceful. Said anybody who doesn’t want to be peaceful, go somewhere else.

The protestors at city and county building now doing a group prayer.

People are leaving city and county building. Not sure where people will go but people have been encouraged to be peaceful.

Tay Anderson is asking peaceful protestors to get on the steps of the city and county building so the police know not to bother them. People are crowding onto the steps.

Tay Anderson is directing people on how to leave peacefully. People seem to be heading out.

I’m hearing loud bangs in other directions. Not sure where they’re coming from but people are trying to leave peacefully from the city and count building.

As loud bangs go off nearby, Tay Anderson shouts “do not engage”

Tay Anderson shouting “they are tear gassing! Go around the Capitol!”

Tear gas at Lincoln/Colfax

SWAT is circling

Pretty chaotic scene at the moment. People running, coughing, all around the Capitol

Was just caught in a stampede of people running from pepper balls

Pardon the scream. Flash bang sound startled me. But wow. Lots of tear gas, chaos. I don’t know what started it.

The smoke you see in the air is tear gas

Flashbang after flashbang after flashbang and tear gas galore near Lincoln/Colfax. I’m trying to stay back a bit to keep safe.

We are moving away from the Capitol. Everyone is running

It seems like the tear gas and flashbangs made people scatter into the streets surrounding the Capitol. Me and @alex_burness are together. Really glad to have a colleague as we navigate this

The tear gas has pushed us to Colfax and Logan. I don’t really know where we’re going at this point. People are just roaming, police on many blocks, tear gas in the air

Needed to sit down on the sidewalk. Was really struggling with the tear gas. Looked up and saw this. Just feels surreal.