DES MOINES, Iowa - The ACLU of Iowa says it's considering legal action against the Des Moines Police Department after late night Monday protests that included arrests.
Des Moines Black Lives Matter claims its marchers were the victims of police brutality and aggression during the demonstration downtown after being asked to disperse.
The ACLU says there are credible reports of police using excessive force, including a crowd containment tactic known as "kettling". Some protesters say they were surrounded by police, who were in riot gear, and not allowed to disperse before being arrested.
Des Moines Police say "kettling" wouldn't have served their purpose, and say they were responding to public complaints of late night disruptions to neighborhoods and traffic flow.
The Monday night demonstrations and arrests took place just hours after the Des Moines City Council passed an anti police bias ordinance.
The ACLU says it wants to hear from city leadership that the Monday night actions are unacceptable and police will be held accountable.