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‘Pandemonium And Mayhem’: DC Homeowner Explains Why He Allowed Protesters To Seek Refuge In His Home

Screenshot Twitter Adrianna Hopkins

Shelby Talcott Senior White House Correspondent
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A man who opened his home to protesters in Washington, D.C. Monday to help them avoid arrest described the situation to ABC7 and explained why he decided to open his doors for a large group of strangers.

Rahul Dubey was watching a scene unfold in Northwest D.C. where police had apparently cornered protesters who were out past curfew. Dubey told ABC7 reporter Kristen Powers that chaos ensued and he instinctively began to allow people in to seek refuge.

“My door was already open, I was standing on my stoop,” Dubey explained. “I had a couple people on the steps, a couple people had asked to charge their phone and use the bathroom, two people had asked if they could run out the back because they were pinned in here. It was starting to get pretty evil and pretty dark and you could feel that there was some bad energy in the air.”

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Dubey said that about fifteen seconds after he allowed a few protesters to use his home, “there was a big bang, there was spray that my eyes started burning, screaming like I’ve never heard before.” He described the scene of people fleeing down the street with cops in tow as “a human tsunami.”

“All I remember is just kind of pandemonium and mayhem,” Dubey added. (RELATED: Minneapolis Burns As Looters Take To The Streets Following Protests Over Death Of George Floyd)

Dubey also said that he hopes his son “grows up to be just as amazing as” the protesters. He voiced support for them continuing to fight and for the protesters participating in peaceful demonstrations. The D.C. resident added that the initial scene inside his home was “pure chaos,” with people on every floor washing off pepper spray and putting milk on their faces in an attempt to counter the effects of the spray.

After awhile, Dubey said the scene in his home turned into protesters discussing why this situation was happening. Dubey said some blamed themselves while others discussed what the protesters could do better going forward. He later ordered pizza for the protesters, and they remained in his home overnight until the 6 a.m. curfew expired Tuesday, NBC Washington reported.

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Protests have been occurring around the country following the death of George Floyd.