Reporting for night duty out here at the White House again. As soon as I got here police started firing pepper bullets. #dc #GeorgeFloydprotest 
There are more people here than this time last night. Over the course of the day, the standoff between proteters and police has moved around the District. But tonight, the line is down the center of Lafayette Park, as the White House glows in the background.
Crowd started cheering the police for taking a knee, chanting “take a knee!” It looked for a minute like half the line in the center of Lafayette Park had knelt down. But if you look closer, they’re putting on gas masks. Hour and a half till curfew.
Protesters have taken over this half of Lafayette Square, tagged up the facilities building, kicked open the door and are perched at the top. Some up here acting as lookouts, yelling warnings, like “gas, gas!” Or when a demonstrator was hurt, “man down!”
And we have a flag burning.
Right after I took this video of people breaking into the facilities bldg, police fired several rounds of tear gas & pepper bullets right into the crowd. I heard one woman yell she had been hit. A flash bang went off right after. Protesters ran for it, clearing that bit of park.
Handful of people breaking glass at the AFL-CIO, some have run inside to continue beeaking things, as others in the crowd react:
“Aw, man, not the union!”
“No, stop! Unions are good!”
Big contract to last night, when protesters used this building’s plaza as refuge.
“Aw, man, not the union!”
“No, stop! Unions are good!”
Big contract to last night, when protesters used this building’s plaza as refuge.
Very expensive-looking car on fire on I Street, a block away from the park. There’s a small group of people here causing this destruction — they have metal baseball bats and fireworks. Most of the crowd here is gawking while they smash buildings, set fires and break street signs.
Extremely chaotic scene out here as police try to clear the park in the streets around it. They’re pushing people up in sprints, shields out. They’re firing rounds of rubber bullets or pepper balls, lighting fireworks and flash bangs. People are running and screaming down H St.
Police holding the line at the northwest corner of the park. I can see the flashing red lights of a fire truck by the St. John’s Church — a historic building north of the White House. We’ve heard reports that it’s on fire, but I don’t see flames.
Officially after cerfew out here and police have pushed demonstrators several blocks back from the park. I’m with a group to the west. They’re rushing in spurts, shooting rounds of pepper bullets into the crowd and let loose another round of tear gas.
It’s 45 mins after curfew now. A dwindling line of protesters are staring down rows of federal police officers with riot shields who have been intermittantly shooting pepper or rubber bullets into the crowd.
The group I’m with here, mostly young black demonstrators, are angry, crying, yelling at the cops. Some are asking “why.”
“Why won’t you stand down?”
“Why won’t you take a knee?”
“Why won’t you stop shooting us?”
“Why should we be afraid of you? You’re supposed to protect us!”
“Why won’t you stand down?”
“Why won’t you take a knee?”
“Why won’t you stop shooting us?”
“Why should we be afraid of you? You’re supposed to protect us!”
Update on the St. John’s fire 👇🏽
Fewer than 100 protesters left at this standoff at H and Conn Ave. as we pass the hour-after-curfew mark. Pleading and shouting continues as protesters implore the police to put down their shields & guns, to take a knee.
“Take a knee to be on the right side of fucking history!”
“Take a knee to be on the right side of fucking history!”
It’s over. Demonstrators scattered after police retreated to the park. #DC police driving around now alerting people that they’re breaking curfew and will be arrested if they don’t comply.
The building that was set on fire at Lafayette Square is still mouldering. Graffitti covers everything — the asphalt, the walls, the street signs.
On my walk out, I’m passing building after building with broken glass and defaced entryways. The lone holdout on this block, left totally untouched (minus the flower pots), is the ACLU.
