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Police have confronted protesters outside the White House, where officers in riot gear are trying to push demonstrators away from the US president’s residence.
The crowds have been trying to make their way into the pedestrian part of Pennsylvania Avenue outside the White House fence.
Outside the White House, now: pic.twitter.com/iUh7i785Ye
— Allum Bokhari (@LibertarianBlue) May 30, 2020
Bottles were thrown and police allegedly responded by using batons and tear gas.
Insanity outside the White House. Three warnings of an unlawful assembly from the Secret Service before storming into the crowd.
A lot of people have been hit with paper spray. In all the chaos, at least one person was tossed to the ground and presumably arrested. pic.twitter.com/Ab2eSkq9CS
— Alejandro Alvarez (@aletweetsnews) May 30, 2020
Local journalist Alejandro Alvarez reported that police gave several warnings to the crowds to disperse before moving on them.
Tensions flared near the White House. Not sure what triggered it, all I saw was a blast of pepper spray and a sudden sprint backward. There’s a lot more pressure on the police cordon and they’re pulling out gas masks. pic.twitter.com/X4uCQRzPkw
— Alejandro Alvarez (@aletweetsnews) May 30, 2020
Some rioters smashed Secret Service cars and spray-painted obscenities. Some buildings in the vicinity were also vandalized, according to ABC reporter Kevin Lewis.
UPDATE: It's 5:41 p.m. and law enforcement has regained control outside the White House.
I estimate the crowd of civilians is around 500 strong right now.
Plastic bottle, clothing, protest signs, even an apple are strewn on Pennsylvania Avenue, behind the police line. pic.twitter.com/TmmMIYSMTe
— Kevin Lewis (@ABC7Kevin) May 30, 2020
Protesters continued to demonstrate after police moved them to a side street and erected a barrier. There were also rallies outside the Capitol building and along other streets in downtown DC on Saturday.
President Donald Trump had been in Florida watching the SpaceX rocket launch with two US astronauts, but he was in his residence on Friday night when protesters rallied outside. He later complemented the Secret Service for handling the demonstrators, who he said would have been greeted by “vicious dogs” if they approached the fence.
