White House under Lockdown as ’Justice for Floyd’ Protests Engulf Washington, DC

By Staff, Agencies

The White House was placed under lockdown on Friday evening as thousands of protesters in Washington, DC converged on the presidential mansion demanding justice for Minneapolis man George Floyd, whose death earlier this week at the hands of police has sparked riots in the Minnesota capital and protests across the country.

On Monday evening, Floyd, a 45-year-old black man, was stopped and arrested by several Minneapolis Police Department officers on suspicion of having tried to pay for groceries with a counterfeit bill. When he was tackled to the ground, one white officer, Derek Chauvin, placed his knee on Floyd’s neck for several minutes, after which he died.

Thousands of protesters in Washington, DC, on Friday evening marched to Lafayette Park in front of the White House, sending the presidential mansion into lockdown mode. At least one protester was also arrested during a scuffle with police outside the US Treasury building nearby, but the details are uncertain.

There have also been reports on social media of police using pepper spray.

Their march began at the intersection of U St. and 14th St. Northwest, two major thoroughfares that meet in front of the Municipal Center, where they chanted “racist police have got to go” and “I can’t breathe,” echoing Floyd’s final words heard in the graphic video of his death that sparked the protests.

The roughly 200 protesters, many of whom wore “Black Lives Matter” shirts and carried signs demanding justice for Floyd, also observed a moment of silence in honor of Floyd and several other black persons slain recently, including Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and Dreasjon “Sean” Reed.

Demonstrators, however, maintained social distancing in line with DC advisories about public gatherings and according to communications by organizers prior to the protest. Yet the heavy police presence described the situation as “fluid,” leaving it unclear if they would act to shut it down or not.