Rioters gathered Monday in Lafayette Square before the White House where they clashed with police as they attempted to tear down a monument to former U.S. President Andrew Jackson and set up a “Black House Autonomous Zone.”
Video footage from on the ground Daily Caller reporters shows rioters attempting to pull down the monument to Jackson early on in the evening. The protesters chanted, “Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho, Andrew Jackson’s got to go,” Fox News reported. The rioters were unsuccessful in tearing down the monument before police arrived on the scene. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Daily Caller Reporters Go Inside Seattle’s CHAZ)
WATCH:
BREAKING from Lafayette Square in front of The White House pic.twitter.com/jkRBdfUMRu
— RichieMcG (@RichieMcGinniss) June 23, 2020
As the rioters were forced to move further away from the statue, they began to get more angry and indignant and began to fight the police, reporters on the ground said.
Subsequent footage shows the rioters clashing with police, who used a chemical irritant believed to be pepper spray, their shields, and a bicycle wall to push the rioters back away from the monument, WUSA9 reports.
Several reporters, including Daily Caller video editor Richie McGinniss, were hit by the pepper spray. (RELATED: ‘I Was Just Yelling … Come And Help Me’: Reporter Details Alleged Assault While Filming Inside ‘CHAZ’)
WATCH:
Protesters and police actively fighting with each other. Protesters weren’t able to tear down the statue of President Andrew Jackson (police have pushed them back) pic.twitter.com/uXR3FZFjUB
— Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) June 23, 2020
The rioters then proceeded to vandalize St. John’s church, which has previously been vandalized in riots earlier during the summer. Rioters spray painted “BHAZ” on the historic church, which stands for “Black House Autonomous Zone.” (RELATED: Historic St. John’s Church Set Ablaze In DC As Another Night Of Riots Engulfs Country)
BHAZ = Black House Autonomous Zone pic.twitter.com/8O7VUlc5q0
— Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) June 23, 2020
Footage shows that some rioters lit a fire on the ground, which others quickly put out, sparking arguments.
“Defund the Police,” a rioter shouts into a megaphone at a group of police officers, many of whom are kneeling. “Fuck all y’all.”
WATCH:
“Defund the Police. Fuck all y’all.” pic.twitter.com/SpfPUf75Ew
— Richie????McG???? (@RichieMcGinniss) June 23, 2020
This is a breaking news post that will be updated with more details.
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