Driving the news: Sheriff's deputies in tactical gear moved inside the Maricopa County Elections center as the protest crowd continued to grow, per CBS News. The elections department tweeted its staff "will continue our job" and release results again Wednesday night local time as planned, despite the intimidation.
ARIZONA PROTEST: Sheriff’s deputies moved media inside the Maricopa Co. Elections Center for safety as the crowd grew. We have now left the premises for safety.
The craziest part of this is Arizona ballots are still being counted inside, while this happens outside... #azfamily pic.twitter.com/1u91ejccf8
— Briana Whitney (@BrianaWhitney) November 5, 2020
The big picture: Election protests continued in dozens of U.S. cities well into the night. Dozens of protesters were also marching in Los Angeles, Portland, Ore., and Raleigh, N.C., per USA Today.
In Minneapolis, officers on Interstate 94 surrounded members of the media and demonstrators protesting issues including Trump and his vow to contest the election, racism and police brutality, per the Minnesota Daily.
- Minnesota Daily reporter Samantha Hendrickson said in a livestream just before 11 p.m. ET that as police continued to surround her, other media teams and demonstrators, protest organizers were urging those gathered to remain calm.
- Officers were not communicating with them beyond saying they were being arrested for offenses including holding an unlawful protest, Hendrickson said.
- Minnesota State Patrol said in a statement that its troopers were working with the Minneapolis Police Department to arrest the protesters for blocking the road.
In Denver, Colorado, police and protesters clashed late Wednesday.
- Police said they arrested protesters, who at one point appeared to use a flare to burn a "Thin Blue Line" and Trump flag, per CBS News.
In Philadelphia, a "count every vote" protest was also held, as the race outcome in Pennsylvania remained too close to call.
In Detroit earlier, Trump supporters marched to a ballot-counting center chanting "stop the count" before AP projected that Joe Biden would win Michigan.
Go deeper ... In photos: America on edge amid fears of election violence
Editor's note: This is a developing news story. Please check back for updates.
