RICHMOND, Va. -- Richmond Police and Virginia State Police shut down what protesters dubbed "Reclamation Square" outside Richmond City Hall early Tuesday morning.
Hours earlier, protesters made their way down Marshall Street with their tents, blankets, sleeping bags, and water to hold a sit-in protest. The protesters had been camping around the Lee Monument along Monument Avenue in Richmond, but new rules closed Lee Monument to the public after sundown.
On social media, some protesters said they went to City Hall to listen and learn from protest organizers. Others told CBS 6 they wanted to express their concerns about their rights being violated while assembling peacefully.
At about 12:40 a.m. Tuesday, Richmond Police tweeted about an unlawful assembly at City Hall.
"This area is being deemed an unlawful assembly due to conditions of activity such as sit-ins, sit-downs, blocking traffic, blocking entrances or exits of buildings that impact public safety or infrastructure," the tweet read. "This area is being deemed an unlawful assembly due to conditions of activity such as sit-ins, sit-downs, blocking traffic, blocking entrances or exits of buildings that impact public safety or infrastructure."
Virginia State Police and Richmond Police then used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.
A dozen people were arrested, according to Richmond Police.
Monday night's protest marked 25 days of demonstrations in Richmond against police brutality and racial injustice.
