Protester shot and seriously injured in Denver during demonstration
- A person has been shot during protests in Denver on Saturday afternoon
- A ‘Patriot Muster’ was being held, with Denver Communists counterprotesting
- Police were immediately on scene and the gunman dropped his weapon
- It was unclear what happened in the moments leading up to the shooting
- The condition of the victim is unclear; two have been arrested
- Video circulating on social media showed the moment the trigger was pulled
- Riot police at the protest ran to the noise of gunshot and arrested the gunman
A person has been shot and seriously wounded at a protest in Denver, which saw militia members square off with BLM activists.
Rival rallies were called for Saturday afternoon by John ‘Tig’ Tiegen, who organized a ‘Patriot Muster’ at 2pm in the Civic Center park with the slogan: ‘Stand up, show up.’
The Denver Communists organized a rally in the same spot, at 1:30pm – telling their supporters: ‘Counter protest the fascist rally nearby!’
A huge police presence in the center of the Colorado city meant that, on hearing the gunshot, riot police were almost immediately on the scene.
They arrested the gunman, who dropped his handgun without resistance and was arrested.
‘Officers are investigating a shooting that occurred in the Courtyard by the Art Museum,’ Denver Police Department (DPD) tweeted.
‘1 victim transported to the hospital their condition is unknown, 1 suspect in custody.’
They later updated their information to say two people were in custody.
It was unclear which camp either of the two people involved represented.
Denver has seen a series of tense protests and counter protests this summer.