Puerto Rico riot police forced protesters back with tear gas and pepper spray outside Gov. Ricardo Rosselló's residence Monday evening, as they called for his resignation over leaked crude messages, the New York Times first reported.
Details: Thousands of people took part in the march in the capital for a 3rd day, per CBS News. Police commissioner Henry Escalera told reporters some demonstrators had thrown cobblestones, bottles and their own tear gas at officers during the 2.5-hour standoff, according to the NYT.
[CAOS EN FORTALEZA] Policía rompió la línea y lanzaron gases lacrimógenos a manifestantes en la Calle del Cristo @NoticentroWAPA @WapaTV pic.twitter.com/5qA9N7G8d0
— Jorge Gelpí Pagán (@JorgeGelpi) July 16, 2019
The big picture: Rosselló's leaked text messages with members of his administration revealed misogynistic, profane and homophobic comments, prompting 2 top officials to resign, the BBC notes. The conversation took place on the encrypted messaging app Telegram, per AP.
What he's saying: Rosselló said in a statement late Monday he respected the protests and was taking their message into account, according to AP.
This article has been updated with more details, including comment from Rosselló and police.
