About 1,500 to 2,000 people who descended on the State Capitol today to protest anti-illegal-immigrant legislation were mostly peaceful, and state troopers arrested only four people.
Three of the arrests were sparked in part by ice cream, of all things.
At about 3:30 p.m., an ice-cream vendor reported to police that someone had stolen his hand cart.
Soon after, cops spotted the thief a little while later selling items from the cart, according to a statement put out this evening by the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
While the man was being arrested, "a crowd formed" and someone threw a water bottle at the officer, hitting him.
But the crowd, probably agitated by the news that Governor Jan Brewer had signed the immigration bill, wasn't finished with the officers:
Police quickly formed a line and additional suspect forced his way through the officers and was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.
Earlier in the afternoon, a juvenile who threw a water bottle at a police officer had been arrested and charged with aggravated assault.
DPS says it will work with other authorities in the coming days "to ensure enough resources are on hand to maintain a safe environment at the state capitol grounds."
