13-06-2025
Woman shares experience with police during Downtown Las Vegas protest
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – Nearly 100 people were arrested Wednesday night after Las Vegas Metro police said protestors were throwing things at officers and blocking streets.
'It's nerve-wracking to be put in a situation where cops have non-lethals, and they're shooting at the crowd,' Stephanie Gentry, who was part of the protest group in downtown Las Vegas said. 'I know someone who had their car shot at. Multiple of us were tear-gassed.'
She continued, 'Once we got to the end point of the march, the police were there with riot gear, riot shields, and they had us surrounded on both sides.'
According to Gentry, tensions between police and protesters only escalated towards the end.
Republican Nevada Assemblywoman Heidi Kasama told 8 News Now she believes in peaceful protesting, but not what she's been seeing nationally.
'Peaceful protests are fine, but vandalism and the destruction and the looting that we see right now is completely unacceptable, and I think people should be held accountable for their actions.'
When asked if protestors deserved the penalties they faced, Gentry responded, saying it is inappropriate to be told how to demonstrate.
'I would also like to argue that there really was no instance of violence on the protestors' side,' she said.
'LVMPD understands the rights of our citizens to exercise their First Amendment rights but will not tolerate acts of violence and vandalism resulting from these protests,' according to a statement by Las Vegas Metro police.
Protestors have more events planned in Las Vegas throughout the weekend, including both downtown and on the Strip.
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