Two were arrested and others pepper-sprayed at a pro-Palestinian event at Lake Eola Park in Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando police arrested two people and pepper-sprayed several others at Lake Eola Park during a pro-Palestine demonstration Saturday afternoon.

According to a press release, the protest was hosted by pro-Palestinian organizations from across the state.

According to police, an estimated 1,200 people were at the protest in downtown Orlando.

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Officials said that while most people demonstrated peacefully, the two people arrested would be charged with assault on a police officer. No further details about her arrest were released.

“The Orlando Police Department is committed to ensuring the safety of all people peacefully gathering in the city of Orlando, while ensuring the safety of residents and businesses,” a police statement said.

According to the organizer’s press release, the protest was held “to commemorate the beginning of the Nakba,” referring to the mass exodus of an estimated 700,000 Palestinians from what is now Israel during the 1948 war that accompanied its creation.

“Officers also used a handheld chemical weapon on one group, which had a disruptive effect. No injuries were reported,” Orlando police said in their statement regarding the use of pepper spray.

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