Demonstrators, police clash in third night of DTLA protests following Jacob Blake shooting

Protesters and police clashed inside the Third Street tunnel in downtown Los Angeles with officers firing non-lethal rubber bullets into the crowd followed by arrests on Thursday morning.

The protests against police brutality began to turn violent around 11 p.m. Wednesday when some in the crowd began spray painting graffiti on glass doors of the U.S. Bank Tower, located at 633 W. Fifth St. Demonstrators began moving away from the tower and marched into the Third Street tunnel where they were corralled by Los Angeles police officers, who set up skirmish lines at both ends of the tunnel.

Fighting briefly broke out between officers in riot gear and protesters before both sides pulled back around 11:10 p.m.

On Wednesday, about 300 people protested outside the Hall of Justice, near Second and Temple streets around 6 p.m., then marched around City Hall and Los Angeles Police Department headquarters after 10 p.m., many shouting anti-police slogans.

RELATED: 

• Third night of protests in Downtown L.A. over police shootings

• Unlawful assembly declared at Monday's DTLA protest

• Police shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin prompts second night of protests in downtown L.A.

Los Angeles police officers, some in riot gear, stood watch behind metal barriers outside police headquarters.

The protests, which have taken place for three consecutive nights, were focused on the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and the shooting deaths of two protesters and the wounding of another during demonstrations in that city.

Get breaking news alerts in the FOX 11 News app. Download for iOS or Android.