More than 200 arrested, charged with rioting in DC

More than 200 people were arrested Friday amid protests and rioting in Washington, D.C., police said.

Interim Police Chief Peter Newsham said at a news conference that officers had taken at least 217 people into custody after some Inauguration Day protests turned chaotic.

Some rioters set fire to trash cans and newspaper boxes and smashed in windows of downtown businesses amid protest of President Trump’s swearing-in.

“My sense is that these are not people that are from Washington, D.C.,” Newsham said.

“And I say that because we deal with peaceful demonstrations in this city every single day, of all kinds with folks that live in this area, and we haven’t seen this type of behavior. It’s very unusual for this region.”

{mosads}All 217 people arrested during the inauguration demonstrations were charged with rioting, Newsham said.

Protesters clashed with law enforcement at multiple points on Friday, resulting in police officers using flash-bang grenades and pepper spray to push back crowds.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters are set to march through Washington on Saturday for the Women’s March on Washington. Newsham said the demonstration is expected to be peaceful despite the chaos that erupted on Friday.