National Guard sent to Reno after looting, City Hall damaged

RENO — The city of Reno and Washoe County issued mandatory curfews Saturday night after Reno City Hall was damaged and looted during protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody.

In a tweet sent at 8:46 p.m., Reno Police Chief Jason Soto said that the National Guard, along with law enforcement agencies from Reno, Sparks, Washoe County and the federal government, were en route to downtown Reno.

“Please go home, avoid arrest, and stay safe,” Soto’s tweet said.

SWAT now In front of the federal courthouse, looks like they could. Bulk of the protest crowd is now mostly sitting in the parking lot of the Wild Orchid maybe 100 yards away. pic.twitter.com/vWodIm4VmW

— Colton Lochhead (@ColtonLochhead) May 31, 2020

Gov. Steve Sisolak issued a 10 p.m. statement saying he mobilized the state National Guard in response to a request from Reno authorities. Guard members would “support state and local law enforcement in preserving public safety as well as the ability of individuals to exercise their rights to peacefully demonstrate,” according to the statement.

Guard members were being deployed to guard local government buildings, allowing local police to focus on public safety and dispersing protesters.

The protest started at 2 p.m. in downtown Reno, and remained mostly peaceful for several hours as demonstrators marched up and down city streets.

Smaller crowd still going. Couple of guys breaking windows at the federal courthouse in Reno before the crowd moves further south pic.twitter.com/3hiWSEcOh9

— Colton Lochhead (@ColtonLochhead) May 31, 2020

Around five hours into the protest, some protesters started to break the glass windows at city hall, and some tried to start a fire near the front of the building.

Sarah Strang, managing editor of the University of Nevada, Reno student newspaper, the Nevada Sagebrush, tweeted that one of the protesters had used a fire extinguisher to try to put out the flames.

Things are escalating now. Reno SWAT moving closer to protesters in sn armored truck. Launch more tear gas and some sort of flashbang-type grenade (honestly not sure. If you know what it is, drop a comment) pic.twitter.com/SCANJJyTjz

— Colton Lochhead (@ColtonLochhead) May 31, 2020

Soon after, Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve announced that the city had implemented an immediate curfew.

In a series of tweets, Schieve wrote that the city supports peaceful protesting, but not violence.

“Peaceful protesting and the right to assembly are sacred. Violence and destruction are not,” Schieve wrote.

“Emotions are high and many in our community are in pain. But I implore our citizens to channel this energy into the true fight: social justice, equality, and accountability. We love our city and all who live here,” the mayor added.

Contact Capital Bureau Chief Colton Lochhead at clochhead@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ColtonLochhead on Twitter.