WASHINGTON — Law enforcement across the District have started moving in on parts of D.C. that have been occupied by protesters, and are starting to make arrests as the curfew implemented by Mayor Muriel Bowser continues into the night.
The fourth day of protests was marked by a show of force around Lafayette Square, a flashpoint in the "Justice for George Floyd" protests in DC. Multiple flash bangs, tear gas canisters and pepper spray were deployed by police and the national guard to clear protesters from the park.
President Trump then left the White House grounds, crossing through the empty Lafayette Park for a photo opp outside St. John's Church just after D.C.'s curfew started at 7 p.m. The church's nursery and basement were set on fire by protesters late Sunday evening.
DC's George Floyd protests continue through Monday
"Justice for George Floyd" protests sparked after video surfaced showing George Floyd’s killing by a Minneapolis police officer.
Protests erupted nationwide days after Floyd’s death calling for the arrests of all the officers involved after a Memorial Day viral video showed Floyd being pinned down by his neck by then-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Floyd, who is repeatedly heard in the video saying he can't breath and asking for Chauvin to get off his neck, died that day.
The Minneapolis mayor on Tuesday fired all four officers involved in the incident. On Friday, Chauvin was arrested and charged with murder and manslaughter in Floyd's death. But the other three officers who were involved in the incident have not yet been arrested or charged, with prosecutors in Minnesota on Friday saying that charges are likely forthcoming.
D.C. is among cities across the nation who have seen protests Friday night through Monday that are centered around Floyd's death and police brutality in minority communities.