Two protesters vandalized the Trump International Hotel and FBI Headquarters during an anti-capitalist march through Washington, D.C., Saturday.
Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arrested three individuals in connection to the Million Mask March demonstration, when protesters wore anonymous-style Guy Fawkes masks.
Two men were found vandalizing Trump International Hotel, the FBI Headquarters and an MPD police cruiser. A third individual put the White House on a brief lockdown after walking up to the building with a gun and a Guy Fawkes mask, reports WTOP.
Authorities confirmed all three incidents were tied with the Million Mask March protests and identified 27-year-old Eric Roberts, from Florida and 35-year-old Danny Hamilton, from Louisiana as the vandals. Both men are charged with defacing government property and resisting arrest.
Secret Service arrested the third individual, who remains unidentified, after a brief struggle over a firearm near the White House. The unidentified person is charged with carrying a firearm without a license and committing a crime while wearing a mask. (RELATED: Activists Descend On Trump Hotel To Protest ‘Racism And Bigotry’)
Members of the Million Mask March said their event is peaceful and were disheartened to learn of the vandalism and incident at the White House. One protester said the individuals arrested were not affiliated with the larger group, while another protester said he thinks the men are innocent of any crimes, reports WJLA.
“It makes me feel like there’s a sense of lawlessness that exists and people seem to take advantage of that,” Michael Stango, a tourist visiting from New York, told WJLA.
Trump International Hotel has been drawing the ire of activists throughout the election, with regular protests in front of the main entrance. Activists from the group ANSWER Coalition organized a protest Oct. 26 with members of Code Pink and other groups, waving signs and calling Trump racist while speakers repeated that they were “building a wall against racism and bigotry.”
Protesters said they remain committed to shutting down the hotel. Some believe his campaign will lead to vacancies, which will eventually put a financial drain on Trump. In the meantime, some speakers called on the hotel to open its doors to the homeless in D.C. At one point the protesters gathered around the entrance to the hotel creating a barricade while people chanted, “If we don’t get no justice, you don’t get no peace.”
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