Twelve arrests were made early Thursday after demonstrators upset about the Baltimore police's use of force staged a sit-in at City Hall during a hearing to consider a new police commissioner.
As many as 50 protesters attended the sit-in Wednesday evening, which came six months after the death of Freddie Gray, who suffered mortal injuries while being transported in the back of a police van, according to ABC News.
Gray's death led to protests and riots across Baltimore, with many saying the city's government has long ignored their demands for safe housing, better schools and a less confrontational police department.
"We're trying to hold the police accountable. Our voices are not being heard, and that's disgusting," said Tawanda Jones, whose brother died in an encounter with police in 2013.
Despite the interruptions, the proceedings on whether to give Baltimore's interim police commissioner Kevin Davis the permanent job as the city's top police officer went off without a hitch, and three of the five committee members present voted in favor of his confirmation, according to Reuters.
Several protesters, some of whom were identified as members of Baltimore City Bloc, a grass-roots activist group of high school students, remained in City Hall past midnight. A small number of the protesters decided to leave after the police issued multiple warnings, but 12 remained and were charged with trespassing.
"The remaining protesters refused to leave the building. As a direct result of their failure to comply, the remaining protesters have been arrested and charged with trespassing. There are no reported injuries at this time to any protesters or officers," a police statement said, according to the Herald & Review.
Many of the demonstrators claim police have shown heightened aggression toward protesters since Davis took his interim role in July.
