Black Lives Matter leaders have condemned the deadly shootings of five police officers in Dallas, Texas.
Prayers for the victims of all violence tonight.
I hate police brutality. I don't hate police. This violence is wrong on every level. It is as American as apple pie, but wrong nonetheless.
My heart hurts for the dead. We must end police & vigilante violence, before it destroys what democracy we have left. #DallasPoliceShooting
#BlackLivesMatter advocates dignity, justice and freedom, not the murder of cops. Police violence, not #BlackLove, creates violence.
Leading members of the BLM movement noted that although officers on the ground had paid the highest price for Thursday night's violence, all involved were "traumatized" by events.
Eleven police officers were shot by an unknown number of snipers at the end of a peaceful rally through downtown Dallas. At least five officers are confirmed dead, and one remains in critical condition in hospital.
The rally had been organized to express solidarity following the fatal police shootings of two young black men this week: Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota.
Anyone blaming this Dallas shooting on the #BlackLivesMatter movement is sick. Those protestors were peaceful. This terrorized them too.
Dominique Alexander, one of the organizers of the march, took to Twitter to express his solidarity.
This is not a time to play the blame game it is the time to stand together. #NGAN
Activists and campaigners also praised the Dallas Police Department.
The @DallasPD is one of the better police departments in the country. They have repeatedly welcomed protests. https://t.co/zTng0nWQer
And they expressed anger and dismay over the early media identification of a man detained by police.
Mark Hughes, whose picture was shared by the Dallas Police Department, was detained and then released without charge. He and his attorney have subsequently spoken to the media about his treatment.
The brother's name is Mark Hughes. Here are his classmates and his brother. HE WAS NOT THE SHOOTER. A damn mess. https://t.co/pBKAaCu4qI