Sunday, May 31

DC National Guard mustered to defend White House. Looting, violence break out in DC

Statement from Commanding General, D.C. National Guard, 
posted on their Facebook page on May 30 at about 9:00 PM ET:
The District of Columbia National Guard (DCNG) has been activated at the direction of the Secretary of the Army in response to a request for assistance from the U.S. Park Police to help maintain order during protests in the vicinity of the White House.
The DCNG, the Nation’s only Federal National Guard, reports to the President of the United States through the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Army. [...]
This news report from a Washington, DC television station WUSA9, published at 1:03 this morning, states that "some members" of the DC National Guard were deployed around 11:00 PM ET (5/30). From the report, the protests and violence are continuing.

From Fox5 News, another Washington, DC television station, about 30 minutes ago:

WASHINGTON - What began as peaceful, disciplined protests in the District in the wake of George Floyd’s death Saturday afternoon devolved into looting and violence around midnight.

Tensions between police and protesters escalated quickly as the night drew on, with demonstrators hurling burning debris and fireworks, and police in riot gear firing rubber bullets.

At one point, demonstrators could be seen shoving a burning dumpster down a roadway, and near the White House at least one crane and one vehicle could be seen burning.

The demonstrations evaporated, however, and were followed by ... people smashing windows, tagging vehicles with graffiti and looters pouring out of stores with armloads of liquor bottles.

FOX 5 reporter Josh Rosenthal noted that the looting caught on camera was just one spot in the city, which was dotted with crowds and protests at that point.

[END REPORT]


Returning to the WUSA report:
[BEGIN QUOTES]
Multiple levels of scaffolding in an alleyway behind the iconic Hay Adams Hotel in downtown D.C. went up in flames as Justice for George protests continued on their second night [Fri, Sat].

Smoke and flames could be seen from nearby blocks and thousands continued to be in the area for demonstrations. D.C. Fire and EMS responded to the scene just after midnight with crews extinguishing the flames and keeping pedestrians out of the nearby alleyway where the flames went up.

No injuries from the fire have been reported at this time and the fire did not spread to the nearby Hay Adams Hotel.
[...]
The hotel is just north of the White House and blocks away from Lafayette Park, an epicenter for the protests on both nights.

Other fires have broken out throughout the night as protest activity picked up, with some members of the DC National Guard employed around 11 p.m. Multiple uses of tear gas have been employed with many pedestrians having a hard time breathing.

[Photos, video]
[END REPORT]
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