PHILADELPHIA — Protests outside of the Democratic National Convention turned chaotic and veered into violence Tuesday night in Philadelphia, with at least one fistfight breaking out.
A Black Lives Matter protest of several hundred people — including police officers, journalists and the protesters themselves — had been marching for more than two hours when, just a few miles outside the arena where the convention is taking place, they joined up with another large group of protesters, including supporters of Bernie Sanders and pro-Palestinian marchers. The expanded group drew onlookers and resulted in a combustible dynamic that triggered at least one fist fight, though it was unclear who threw the punches.
The scene also featured a string of tense standoffs between protesters and their critics, with law enforcement monitoring carefully and two television reporters from One America News facing harassment from protesters.