Five officers hurt, nine protesters arrested in chaotic May Day rally

SEATTLE -- Seattle Police say officers reported being struck by sticks and batons by some anti-capitalist demonstrators at a May Day protest Sunday in Seattle.

Dozens of black-clad people gathered at Westlake Park in downtown following a peaceful, permitted march earlier in the day by advocates for workers and immigrants.

The anti-capitalist demonstrators, who did not have a permit from city officials, carried signs, including one that said "We Are Ungovernable." The group gathered at the downtown park before starting to march through the streets.

Some downtown businesses had earlier boarded up storefronts, anticipating violence. Seattle police reported seeing people with poles with bolts, rocks and cans of spray paint in the crowd. Police said there was some property damage, including broken window at a residential building.

"This is no longer a peaceful march," Steve Wilske, Seattle Police assistant chief, said in a statement on Twitter.

Police say five officers were injured, with one suffering facial lacerations that required medical treatment.

The department issued a dispersal order at about 7:15 p.m. and began deploying flash bang grenades to keep the protesters moving. Nine protesters were arrested and face charges of property destruction, obstructing justice, and assault, according to police.

Police say protesters threw Molotov cocktails at officers on Fourth Avenue, but it's unclear if anyone was injured.

Wilske had called the earlier march through downtown for workers and immigrants "very successful."

Seattle traditionally sees large, disruptive May Day gatherings. Last year police arrested 16 people during demonstrations and in 2014 10 people were arrested. In 2013, police arrested 18 people from a crowd that pelted them with rocks and bottles. Storefronts in downtown Seattle have also been smashed in previous protests.