CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Seven people were charged and two others were taken to the hospital after anti-Republican National Convention protests in uptown Charlotte Monday night, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said.
According to CMPD, officers used pepper spray when a group of protesters took down a flag in front of police headquarters. The majority of Monday's protests were peaceful as the Charlotte portion of the 2020 RNC wrapped up Monday afternoon.
A Resist the RNC 2020 rally at Marshall Park ended at around 8:00 p.m. with very little confrontation with the police. However, protests continued in uptown Charlotte in the evening.
Protests were noticeably organized Monday night -- WCNC Charlotte reporter Brandon Goldner said leaders were maintaining a consistent front line, even stopping the march at times to make sure the line was straight.
Police said at one point, protesters blocked traffic on 3rd Street by putting construction materials and debris in the road. Officers used pepper spray multiple times during the night and bike officers formed a barricade to keep protesters away from the Charlotte Convention Center.
During the night, CMPD made multiple arrests, including a man they said pushed an officer on a bike. According to CMPD, the suspect grabbed a woman's neck and began to strangle her while he was being arrested. Police also arrested a woman who they said refused to move while officers tried to put out a fire on Carson Street.
While officers were trying to put out that fire, CMPD said one man refused to move and pushed an officer on his bike. Charlotte City Councilman Braxton Winston responded on Twitter, saying CMPD lied about the man pushing an officer.
A little after midnight, four more protesters were arrested following an incident at police headquarters. CMPD said someone cut down a flag. While officers were trying to capture that person, CMPD said multiple protesters interfered. Those people were arrested. Two of them were taken to a hospital by Medic for treatment.
Monday, President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence were formally nominated by GOP delegates. Trump also attended the convention briefly to speak to the delegates in attendance.
RNC Security said on Twitter Monday morning that one person unlawfully entered the temporary security perimeter near the RNC Convention area, hopping over a four-foot fence.
RNC Security said the fence was set to prohibit access to the light rail during the convention. Security officials said the person didn’t enter an area where delegates were present or disrupt any events.
As protests continued, a group of protesters blocked traffic on the I-277 off-ramp at the Caldwell Street intersection outside of uptown Charlotte in the South End area.
Editor's Note: The below video contains explicit language.