DC National Guard rolls in amid stand off with protesters outside White House
The National Guard has been activated in Washington, DC to assist local police handling protests around the White House, where the stand off continues, sporadically erupting in clashes.
The guardsmen were mobilized after a request from the US Park Police, the DC National Guard (DCNG) commander, Major General William J. Walker said.
“The DCNG is always ready to assist District and Federal agencies to protect human life and property,” he noted.
The DC National Guard is on hand as protests continue tonight. I am told they were activated by the Secretary of the Army at the request of the US Park Police. pic.twitter.com/V5HoMPVQZI
The protesters have earlier pushed security barricades farther down Pennsylvania Avenue and climbed on the roofs of Secret Service vehicles outside the White House, demanding justice for George Floyd, an unarmed black man who had died in an arrest attempt by a white officer earlier this week.
Police officers lined up behind the barricades at Lafayette Park and used pepper spray while trying to contain the protesters.
A very small minority (like 5% of the people here) at the #dcprotest are throwing things at the police. I’ve seen firecrackers, water bottles, and bricks.
The Black Lives Matter demonstrations have spiraled into riots in multiple major cities across the US, forcing authorities to introduce curfews and request national guard support in several states.
The demonstrations, sparked by Floyd’s death, were staged in major cities across the US. Although initially peaceful, they escalated into rioting, looting, and clashes with police. The unrest had led the authorities to summon the National Guard in several states, while curfews were imposed in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, and Denver, among other places.
President Donald Trump previously blasted the demonstrators near the White House, saying that they had little to do with the memory of Floyd and only showed up to “cause trouble.”
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