At Little Rock rally, reporter struck, windows shattered, building fire put out

12:56 a.m.

Arkansas State Police troopers fired tear gas into a crowd of protesters about 10:45 p.m. at the state Capitol, dispersing a crowd that had numbered several hundred.

Around 10 p.m., the Little Rock protesters began to march from the Capitol grounds east on West Capitol Avenue. Along the way, signs and buildings were spray-painted with graffiti, and windows and glass doors were smashed.

Mayor Frank Scott Jr., who had been at the protest most of evening, marched with demonstrators. As they got near the intersection of West Capitol and South Spring Street, several people in the crowd became unruly.

After being assaulted near the intersection of Capitol and State Street, reporter Tony Holt was taken by ambulance to UAMS Medical Center, where he was being treated late Monday night.

Fire crews put out a fire at the Arkansas Pharmacists Association, 417 S. Victory St.

There were no reports available concerning arrests or injuries.

12:10 a.m.

Shortly before midnight, Little Rock police wrote on Twitter that officers had pursued a truck that took an ATM from a bank on Capitol Avenue. Photos showed the vehicle parked askew on the pavement, possibly having collided with a building. Police said a male suspect was taken into custody at Baptist Hospital.

11:21 p.m.

Little Rock police wrote on Twitter shortly after 11 p.m. that an “active structure fire” was in the area of 4th and Victory streets. “Several crews are securing the area for LRFD to arrive,” the agency wrote.

A large police presence was visible on Capitol Avenue. Officers bore riot shields, walking down the street in formation.

By 11:30 p.m., windows in the Bank OZK office at 325 W. Capitol Ave. had been shattered during the demonstrations.

10:40 p.m.

More than 1,000 protesters gathered at the state Capitol Monday night, the third night of protests in Little Rock after the death of George Floyd.

Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. attended the rally, which lasted past the 10 p.m. curfew the mayor set earlier in the day. Traffic in downtown Little Rock was snarled shortly past 10 p.m., with a crowd at the corner of Capitol and Spring streets.

At 10:20 p.m., Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reporter Tony Holt wrote on Twitter that he had been "struck" at the scene.

Minutes later, Little Rock police wrote on Twitter that a group of protesters had moved downtown and were “actively causing damage to businesses.” Police asked people to avoid the area.

Check back for updates.

5:23 p.m.: After protests, Little Rock mayor institutes 10 p.m. curfew

After a weekend of protests, Little Rock is under a 10 p.m. curfew starting tonight, due to concerns about covid-19 and outside agitators.

The executive order, signed by Mayor Frank Scott Jr. today, is to address large gatherings that could lead to more coronavirus cases among protesters who are not social distancing or wearing face coverings, according to a statement.

The city has also received intelligence that “professional, out-of-state antagonists” posing as protesters who intend to be destructive during future protests and strategically instigate acts of violence, putting peaceful protesters in harm’s way, the city said. One of the sources of that information is Cody Hiland, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we are putting in place this curfew to protect our residents from outside forces who seek to do harm to our city and to continue to slow the spread of covid-19,” Scott said in the statement. “We respect the rights of residents to peacefully protest and fully expect that they will.”

Scott said he would continue to monitor the situation to determine when the curfew should be lifted. The curfew exempts individuals who are traveling to and from work, according to the statement.

Those found violating the curfew for the first time will be issued a warning and further violations will result in a citation.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson said during a press conference today that he supported Scott's decision to impose a curfew.

The curfew hours are 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

– Rachel Herzog