A use-of-force investigation has been launched and eight people arrested following a clash between officers and pro-Palestine protesters, Orlando Police Department says.
According to OPD, 20 individuals peacefully demonstrated near Lake Eola around 4 p.m. Saturday. The demonstration was monitored by officers from downtown and Parramore bike units before concluding at 5:15 p.m.
At around 5:30 p.m., bike officers responded to a "disturbance" near the Publix on East Central Boulevard, where some protesters were arguing with a person of opposing views.
A video released by OPD Sunday shows a series of clips of one officer's body-camera footage, covering some of the incident, which appears to have quickly turned into a physical clash between some protesters and officers.
One bodycam clip shows the arresting officer riding a bike alongside the person arguing with protesters. The officer and opponent are walking along the street, while protesters are walking on the parallel sidewalk.
A protester is seen taking a phone out of their pocket and stepping toward the woman and the officer seconds, before someone is heard saying, "Back up." That protester then sprawls on the ground.
The group of protesters are then seen rushing toward the person on the ground and nearby officers, and an altercation quickly breaks out. The sequence spans about three seconds.
Another piece of the video shows clips from what seem to be different bodycams, depicting verbal and physical altercations and showing officers handcuffing some protesters. OPD says this footage "shows the level of agitation of the demonstrators and their willingness to physically attack officers while in the process of making arrests and keeping the peace."
One protester is seen stepping toward an officer with phone in hand, presumably recording a video, before the officer quickly forces them to the ground.
Another clips shows an officer attempting to restrain a protester while they're lying on top of what appears to be another bike officer and his bike on the pavement. Someone is heard saying, "What are you doing?" repeatedly.
In a release shared Sunday night, OPD stated, "When officers attempted to separate the two parties, a member of the Pro-Palestine demonstration group lunged toward an OPD officer and the opposing citizen in a physically threatening manner."
It is not clear which of the depicted altercations this sentence refers to.
The video ends by saying a use-of-force investigation is underway.
Eight people were ultimately arrested on various charges, including disorderly conduct, battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest with violence and resisting arrest without violence, OPD says.
There has been no additional information provided as of early Monday afternoon, including what exactly prompted the investigation or the identities of those arrested.
Earlier this summer, OPD released body-cam footage of a pro-Palestine rally at Lake Eola, in which officers are seen pepper-spraying, shoving and arresting demonstrators.
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