ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando police officers deployed tear gas on Interstate 4 late Sunday after demonstrators blocked traffic in a protest over the killing of George Floyd, a black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer was captured on video pressing his kneed on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes.
The demonstration happened around 9 p.m. on I-4 between Ivanhoe Boulevard and Amelia Avenue. The incident occurred near the end of what was mostly peaceful protests throughout the city.
According to police, officers were forced to take action after the situation became violent.
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"Unfortunately, because demonstrators are throwing rocks, bottles and construction equipment, police had to deploy tear gas," the Orlando Police Department tweeted.
ALERT ⚠️ : Unfortunately, because demonstrators are throwing rocks, bottles and construction equipment, police had to deploy tear gas. Currently, I-4 is closed between Ivanhoe & Amelia Ave. pic.twitter.com/U3HswCUeKy
— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) June 1, 2020
The crowd dispersed within minutes of the tear gas deployment and the interstate reopened around 9:30 p.m.
Police haven't said if any arrests were made during the demonstration.
The protest came after Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings issued a county-wide curfew, which runs daily from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. until further notice.