25 arrested as police clash with 'Frisco Five' hunger strike supporters occupying SF city hall

Police in San Francisco arrested at least 25 protesters Friday night as supporters of five jailed hunger strikers attempted to occupy city hall, KGO is reporting.

Five demonstrators -- dubbed the "Frisco Five" -- have been refusing to eat until San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr resigns or is fired amid charges of police brutality. The five were moved to a hospital on Friday due to their deteriorating health.

The hunger strike began April 21 to protest two recent police shootings of men of color in the city's Mission District. The strikers also cited recent revelations that San Francisco police officers have been exchanging racist and anti-LGBT text messages.

The hunger strikers are Ike Pinkston, 42, Sellassie Blackwell, 39, Edwin Lindo, 29, Maria Gutierrez, 66 and her son Ilyich Sato, 42.

Earlier in the evening protesters chanted outside the office of Mayor Ed Lee, calling on him to fire Suhr as well as turn in his own resignation.

When riot-gear clad police tried to force the protesters out of San Francisco City Hall when it closed at eight, skirmishes broke out with police pushing and shoving as protesters locked arms and refused to leave.

During the melee, a metal detector was knocked over and used to prop a door open so that more protesters could continue to enter the closed building.

According to the protesters, they will be out in force this weekend either at city hall or at the Mission District police station.

Watch the video below via KGO and Twitter:

Cops vs protesters at #Frisco5#hungerforjusticesf rally at #sf city hall pic.twitter.com/2miTXNYVDJ

— Joe Rivano Barros (@jrivanob) May 7, 2016