Denver police commander: Student protests are unlike anything he’s seen

December 9: Denver police commander spoke out on the student-led protests in Denver this week saying he has not seen protests ''like this, day after day.''

The protests against police brutality and discrimination entered their fifth day.

Commander Matt Murray said the behavior of the protesters is improving. “They’re more typically obeying the law,” he said.

“What we do is we respond to what they do. There’s no coordination—we’re not saying come break the law. We get the best intelligence we can and we react to what they do,” Murray said.

“I think as a responsible citizen, when you feel passionately about an issue, you should still look at both sides,” Murray said. “The protesters don’t want to be measured by the worst actions of their crowd, and we don’t want to be measured by the worst actions of ours.”

“I think there’s an irony I hope is not lost on the students that we’re protecting their rights and their safety while they protest us,” Murray said. “And the other thing I’d say is they don’t win a lot of people to their cause when they cuss at us … you can protest without being disrespectful.”

“No matter what they do, we’re going to be there. That’s what we do,” Murray said.