WASHINGTON — Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Washington, D.C. for the fifth day of protesting following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers. Protesters rallied everywhere from Lafayette Square across the White House to the Capitol building.
Some of the crowd Tuesday were first-time George Floyd protesters, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren who joined the crowd at H Street outside Lafayette Park approximately two hours before the citywide curfew went into effect.
WUSA9 reporter Eric Flack briefly spoke with Warren to understand her motivations for joining the protest.
"Racism is wrong and it's not enough for us to sit comfortably in our homes and to sit in our offices saying it is wrong," Warren said. "We need to be out on the frontlines calling out Donald Trump."
When asked if more people should be following her lead, she encouraged all to get out and join the protest.
"I think everyone should make their voices heard," Warren said. "Racism is wrong. It is not enough to be an ally. We must be anti-racist."
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 breathe and asking for Chauvin to get off his neck, died that day.
The Minneapolis mayor 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.