'Rush the crowd:' Protesters clash with officers at end of peaceful rally

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Protests in Milwaukee carried into the early morning hours of Thursday, June 4. The rally converged at MPD District 5 and started peacefully, but ended with protesters and police clashing until they were dispersed. 

Demonstrators tell CBS 58 they were getting along with officers and Wisconsin National Guard soldiers until around 3 a.m., and that's when the conflict started. 

MPD officers orders a few hundred protesters to leave the area and then used tear gas and smoke to drive protesters out. 

Officials say one protester was hit by a car and was taken to the hospital. Two Milwaukee police officers were also hit by a car and suffered minor injuries. 

There was a rumor that a protester was hit by a squad car, but officials say that is not true. 

CBS 58 spoke with one protester who described how the situation escalated. 

"All of a sudden like these things often due. I mean there’s some arbitrary reason where police just decide they’re going to rush the crowd and that spooked everybody and people started running and the cars that were in the street right here. A lot of the cars just hit the gas because people were afraid. They don’t want to get hurt," said Brian Rothgery, who attended the protest. 

CBS 58 caught up with protesters as they wrapped up.

"For me, this is just the beginning because I want to implement change in our entire community," One protester said.

Another protest is scheduled for Thursday afternoon in Milwaukee.