The Denver police arrested 18 people on Tuesday night about 2 miles from the state Capitol, where a separate rally, which had drawn hundreds downtown to protest the White House’s deportation actions in Los Angeles, was winding down.

Police said two people were arrested on suspicion of second-degree assault on a peace officer and a third for second-degree assault.

One officer suffered a minor injury after being struck in the leg with a rock, Doug Schepman, a Denver Police Department  spokesperson, said in an email to The Denver Gazette. Other officers reported being struck, but not injured, by thrown objects.

The arrested individuals, some as young as 19, were apprehended on suspicion of a variety of charges, including assault, interference with a police officer, criminal mischief, failure to obey a lawful order and obstruction of streets, the department said.

One of the people arrested was on the Capitol green. Several others were arrested in the 700 block of S. Broadway St and at the intersection of 14th Avenue and North Clarkson Street. Three others were arrested at the intersection of 20th Street and Little Raven Street, by Union Station.

The final determination of charges will be made by the Denver District Attorney’s Office. 

The police said the demonstrators marched along city streets and blocked roadways, creating situations where officers had to work to divert traffic as a safety measure.

The police said at 8:05 p.m., officers deployed smoke and pepper balls to disperse crowds blocking roadways or denied protestors access to places, including in the area of S. Broadway near I-25.

Pepper balls deployed are typically fired at the ground to release a powdered substance into an area, according to the police.

There were numerous reports during the night of protestors throwing rocks and bottles at officers, and multiple reports of tagging and graffiti, the police said. 

The police used a loudspeaker to issue orders to protestors “in real time,” Doug Schepman said. An assembly turns into an unlawful one, Schepman said, when it transitions from peaceful protest into one that threatens the public safety “or order” with assaults or destructive behavior.

The Denver Police Department said before DPD officers employed any crowd control tactics, multiple audible warnings were given, notifying individuals that their actions were unlawful and would be enforced if they continued.

Officials said that, in accordance with Denver municipal ordinance and Colorado law, it does not assist with the enforcement of civil federal immigration laws.

“The Denver Police Department remains committed to the safety of all individuals and will continue to cite or arrest individuals committing criminal offenses in our community — regardless of immigration status,” the department said in a news release.

Earlier in the day on Tuesday, hundreds gathered on the lawn of the state Capitol to protest the immigration raids in Los Angeles in an anti-ICE rally, with many protesters clad in gas masks, saying they feared being tear-gassed. Others wore face masks to protect their identity.

In speeches given from the back of a pickup truck at the Capitol, protesters claimed that Trump administration’s move to call in the National Guard in California could portend a martial law declaration.

Martial law is the substitution of military authority for civilian rule, often used in times of war, rebellion or natural disaster.

“We know the crackdowns are not normal,” Jesus Loayza, a member of the CWA Local 7799 union for public defenders, said.

It’s unclear whether the two demonstrations — the second resulting in the arrests — were related. After the Capitol rally, videos posted on social media showed a confrontation between protesters and police at South Broadway and West Exposition Avenue.

Those videos showed police engaging with a much smaller group of protesters than had demonstrated at the capitol.

Gov. Jared Polis received a brief ahead of the demonstration planned at the Capitol on Tuesday, said Shelby Wieman, a spokesperson for the governor.

“Governor Polis strongly supports public safety, and every person’s right to demonstrate peacefully,” Wieman said in an email.

While the Colorado National Guard and the military perform a necessary function in protecting Coloradans during emergencies and natural disasters — Wieman said — doing so should not be done at the expense of people protesting peacefully.

“There is absolutely no need to take away National Guard units from the states; doing so makes us less safe and removes an important tool that the governor has to protect Coloradans, and any engagement of National Guard must include Governors, who serve as commanders in chief in most instances for their Guard,” Wieman said. “Gov. Polis continues to call on Congress to do their part and pass real immigration reform that secures our border and provides adequate personnel for border and interior enforcement.”

Unlike in California, the Trump administration did not send the National Guard or the Marines to Colorado.