Police declare riot in Olympia, arrest 1 in protests

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Police in Olympia declared a riot early Saturday afternoon and arrested at least one person as groups with different points of view held simultaneous protests.

The Olympia Police Department tweeted that the situation was fluid with groups of people moving from the downtown area to the state capital building and campus.

Police say roads are blocked, and the area should be avoided.

Groups planning demonstrations in the city included a group that wanted COVID-19 restrictions lifted, another protesting President Donald Trump’s loss in the presidential election last month, and a Black Lives Matter counter-protest.