Firefighters Attacked with Fireworks, Rocks at Protests Across Country

Firefighters around the country had rocks thrown at them and their vehicles set on fire as they responded to calls amid protests Saturday.

Demonstrations erupted in cities from coast to coast to protest police brutality and racism. The rallies many starting peaceful before escalating to violence were in response to the Memorial Day death of George Floyd, who died after he was arrested by Minneapolis police.

In Atlanta late Friday, fire apparatus were vandalized while crews responded to a call at a restaurant near Lenox Mall. A firefighter was injured during protests Saturday in Columbia, SC, and demonstrators were being blamed for starting a fire at the Metro Courthouse in Nashville, TN.

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Here's a look at some of the incidents involving firefighters late Saturday and early Sunday.

Rochester, NY

A Rochester firefighter was injured and taken to the hospital after protesters pulled the hose from an apparatus and broke the vehicle's windows, according to reports.

Police and city vehicles also were set on fire near the Public Safety Building as officers stood in riot gear. The Rochester Fire Department's sign also was vandalized, according to the firefighters union.

Charlotte, NC

Firefighters had rocks thrown at them while they were responding to an emergency call, according to police.

Cleveland

Cleveland Fire Department's Ladder 23 was placed out of service after bottles and rocks were thrown at it, smashing the vehicle's windshield, the department said. Firefighters had been responding to a blaze downtown at the time.

It's not known if any firefighters were injured in the incident.

Austin, TX

Firecrackers were thrown under the Austin Fire Department apparatus while on calls, the Austin Statesman reports.

Police tried to prevent crowds from harassing firefighters during calls, the report added.

"Your Austin Firefighters are working hard to safely extinguish fires that have been set tonight downtown during the protest," the city's firefighters union said in a statement. "Just a few minutes ago a fireworks type pyrotechnics device was thrown at your Austin fire fighters while they were in the middle fighting a trash fire under I-35.

"This is simply unacceptable Austin.

"Attacking your police, fire fighters, or EMS medics while we’re trying to keep our city safe is not a peaceful protest, it’s just hurting the people who are trying to help you," the union added.

La Mesa, CA

A Heartland Fire Department vehicle and at least one car were set on fire near La Mesa police headquarters, KFMB-TV reports.

Los Angeles

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti instituted a curfew from 8 p.m. Saturday until 5:30 a.m. Sunday to give firefighters a chance to respond to calls throughout the city.

“I’m asking all of Los Angeles to take a deep breath and to step back for a moment to allow our firefighters to put out the flames, to allow our peace officers to reestablish some order,” he said, according to KTLA-TV.

Crews worked to put out burning buildings, as well as vehicles that had been set on fire, including at least one police car. Thousands of protesters demonstrated throughout the city's streets, clashing with police, which led to more than 500 arrests.

Grand Rapids, MI

A firecracker was thrown at a Grand Rapids firefighter who was part of the response to a trash blaze that was started near the Michigan Secretary of State building in Grand Rapids, MLive.com reports. The blast knocked the firefighter, and crews left the scene to let the flames continue to burn.

Several police cruisers also were set on fire in the city.

Minneapolis

Although firefighters received scattered reports of blazes, Mayor Jacob Frey said that no "significant fires" had broke out Saturday night, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Minneapolis was the focal point of the demonstrations and outrages, starting with the Memorial Day death of George Floyd. Major fires erupted at businesses and other buildings around the city last week, including a police station in south Minneapolis on Thursday.

More than 4,100 members of the Minnesota National Guard had been deployed since Friday, a move officials credited with helping reduce the number of fires. As many as 100 arrests were made overnight Saturday, a large increase from previous nights.