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Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, the capital of the United States, experienced a series of protests and riots following the
murder of George Floyd On , George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was murdered in the U.S. city of Minneapolis by Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old white police officer. Floyd had been arrested on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill. Chauvin knelt on Floyd's n ...
in
Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
. Some of the events involved violence, looting, and destruction.


Timeline


May 29

The
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
was on
lockdown A lockdown is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks (such as COVID-19) that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely. The term is used for a prison ...
the night of May 29 in response to protests reaching the gates. The riots began at 7:00p.m. By 8:30p.m., the White House lockdown was lifted as rioters began to leave. At 10:00p.m., the rioters returned, however by 3:30 am Saturday the rioters were more subdued. The protesters came into conflict with the
United States Secret Service The United States Secret Service (USSS or Secret Service) is a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security charged with conducting criminal investigations and protecting U.S. political leaders, their families, and ...
. At one point the protesters were pepper sprayed. Protesters reportedly threw "bricks, rocks, bottles, fireworks and other items" as well as "rocks, urine and alcohol" at Secret Service agents injuring over 60 of them, including 11 hospitalized and treated for non-life-threatening injuries. As a result of the protests, the Secret Service rushed President
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
to shelter in the White House underground
bunker A bunker is a defensive military fortification designed to protect people and valued materials from falling bombs, artillery, or other attacks. Bunkers are almost always underground, in contrast to blockhouses which are mostly above ground. ...
, where he remained for almost one hour. This occurred after some protesters crossed temporary barricades set up near the Treasury Department buildings. Around that time, the Secret Service alert level was raised to "red". The president's
wife A wife (plural, : wives) is a female in a marital relationship. A woman who has separated from her partner continues to be a wife until the marriage is legally Dissolution (law), dissolved with a divorce judgement. On the death of her partner, ...
and son were also brought to the bunker. Trump later falsely claimed that he had only gone to the bunker for an "inspection", and also claimed that he was in the bunker "for a tiny, little short period of time". Attorney General William Barr later stated that the May 29 protests "were so bad that the Secret Service recommended that the President go down to the bunker". Trump responded to the White House protesters on Twitter, saying that if they had crossed the White House fence they would have been attacked by "the most vicious dogs, and most ominous weapons". He also stated that "many Secret Service agents rejust waiting for action", and accused the protesters of being "professionally organized". The Secret Service reported that six people were arrested in Lafayette Square within
President's Park President's Park, located in Downtown Washington, D.C., encompasses the White House and includes the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, the Treasury Building, and grounds; the White House Visitor Center; Lafayette Square; and The Ellipse. Pr ...
, directly north of the
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
. The Metropolitan Police Department and
US Park Police The United States Park Police (USPP) is one of the oldest uniformed federal law enforcement agencies in the United States. It functions as a full-service law enforcement agency with responsibilities and jurisdiction in those National Park Servic ...
were also on the scene.


May 30

Protesters gathered around the White House again on May 30. Police vehicles were damaged with one protester graffitiing words disparaging the President. Monuments on the
National Mall The National Mall is a Landscape architecture, landscaped park near the Downtown, Washington, D.C., downtown area of Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States. It contains and borders a number of museums of the Smithsonian Institut ...
including the
Lincoln Memorial The Lincoln Memorial is a U.S. national memorial built to honor the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is on the western end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., across from the Washington Monument, and is in the ...
and
National World War II Memorial The World War II Memorial is a List of national memorials of the United States, national memorial in the United States dedicated to Veteran#United States, Americans who served in the United States Armed Forces, armed forces and as civilians du ...
were defaced.


May 31

On May 31, dozens of businesses in
CityCenter Aria Campus, commonly known by its former name CityCenter, is a mixed-use, urban complex on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is located on and contains a total of . The complex includes Aria Resort and Casino, the Vdara condo-hotel, t ...
, Georgetown, and
Farragut Square Farragut Square is a city square in Washington, D.C.'s Ward 2. It is bordered by K Street NW to the north, I Street NW to the south, on the east and west by segments of 17th Street NW, and interrupts Connecticut Avenue NW. It is the sister par ...
were looted. Washington Mayor
Muriel Bowser Muriel Elizabeth Bowser (born August 2, 1972) is an American politician serving since 2015 as the eighth mayor of the District of Columbia. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously represented the 4th ward as a member of the Council ...
ordered an 11 p.m. curfew. Before the curfew went into place multiple arsons occurred including attacks at St. Johns Episcopal Church in Lafayette Square and at the AFL CIO office building. A
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
cameraman, Peter Murtaugh, was purposely attacked by police outside the White House. Murtaugh filmed a line of police officers charging without warning, whereby a shield-wielding officer tackled Murtaugh to the ground. A fellow BBC journalist said the attack had occurred before a curfew was imposed.


June 1

In response to violent protests, riots, and arson, Mayor Bowser announced a citywide curfew from 7pm to 6am, which remained in effect through June 3. An additional curfew from 11pm to 6am was added for the night of June 3. Law enforcement officers used
tear gas Tear gas, also known as a lachrymator agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the early commercial aerosol, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the eye to produce tears. In ad ...
and other
riot control Riot control measures are used by law enforcement, military, paramilitary or security forces to control, disperse, and arrest people who are involved in a riot, unlawful demonstration or unlawful protest. If a riot is spontaneous and irration ...
tactics to forcefully clear protesters from Lafayette Square and surrounding streets. Minutes later, President
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
and senior administration officials walked from the
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
to St. John's Episcopal Church. Trump held up a
Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
and posed for a
photo op A photo op (sometimes written as photo opp), short for photograph opportunity (or photo opportunity), is an arranged opportunity to take a photograph of a politician, a celebrity, or a notable event.Ashburton House Ashburton House, also known as St. John's Church Parish House or the British Legation, is a historic house at 1525 H Street NW, on Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C. Built in 1836, it is notable as the residence of Lord Ashburton in 1842, ...
(the church's
parish house A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of religion. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, parsonage, rectory or vicarage. Function A clergy house is typically ow ...
), which had been damaged by a fire during protests the night before. The clearing of demonstrators from Lafayette Square was widely condemned as excessive and an affront to the
First Amendment First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
right to
freedom of assembly Freedom of peaceful assembly, sometimes used interchangeably with the freedom of association, is the individual right or ability of people to come together and collectively express, promote, pursue, and defend their collective or shared ide ...
. Local resident Rahul Dubey, was widely praised by protesters after he allowed over seventy of them to spend the night in his row home after being boxed in by police officers. At least one of the protesters inside the home live streamed the incident and the interactions between the police and Dubey after the police refused to leave from his doorstep, and created a large social media following of the story.


June 2

On Tuesday, up to 2,000 people demonstrated, the largest crowd up to that date. Senator
Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth Ann Warren ( née Herring; born June 22, 1949) is an American politician and former law professor who is the senior United States senator from Massachusetts, serving since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party and regarded as a ...
and her husband Bruce H. Mann spoke with protesters. The protests centered on Lafayette Square in front of the White House, and also included a march to the Capitol Building. The President and First Lady visited
Saint John Paul II National Shrine The Saint John Paul II National Shrine is a national shrine in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. It is a place of prayer for Catholics and welcomes people of all faiths. The Shrine houses a permanent exhibit called ''A Gift o ...
during the day, drawing the condemnation of Archbishop
Wilton Daniel Gregory Wilton Daniel Gregory (born December 7, 1947) is an American prelate of the Catholic Church who is the Archdiocese of Washington, archbishop of Washington, US. Pope Francis elevated him to the rank of Cardinal (Catholic Church), cardinal on No ...
, the head of the
Archdiocese of Washington The Archdiocese of Washington is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the United States. Its territorial remit encompasses the District of Columbia and the counties of Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, P ...
, as well as a crowd of two hundred peaceful protesters nearby. Overall, federal law enforcement presence was notably increased, which Mayor Muriel Bowser said was not the result of a request by the city. In contrast with previous days, little violence occurred.


June 3

Over 5,000 were estimated to have taken part in peaceful demonstrations across the city, including those well past curfew into Thursday morning. No arrests were made, and no confrontations with police or damage to police property occurred. One group of protesters marched a route through the city, with National Guard troops and federal agents monitoring. Barricades had been erected around certain areas of the capital and were maintained by Capitol Police. The names of those who had died in previous police encounters were read aloud, and protesters had demonstrated in front of the Capitol building and the Trump International Hotel. In the evening protesters gathered in Lafayette Park or staged a
die-in A die-in, sometimes known as a lie-in, is a form of protest in which participants simulate being dead. Die-ins are actions that have been used by a variety of protest groups on topics such as animal rights, anti-war, against traffic violence, hum ...
on Pennsylvania Avenue for about eight minutes chanting, "
I can't breathe "I can't breathe" is a slogan associated with the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States. The phrase originates from the last words of Eric Garner, an unarmed man who was killed in 2014 after being put in a chokehold by a New York C ...
". Barr announced that he would "flood the zone" in D.C. by bringing in law enforcement agents from multiple federal agencies. Barr himself was supervising the operation from an FBI command center in Washington's Chinatown. The deployment involved at least 5,800 troops, agents, and officers including personnel from the National Guard, US Secret Service, US Park Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, US Marshals Service, Bureau of Prisons, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Protective Service and the Transportation Security Administration. The heavily armed officers wore uniforms with no name badges and no insignia to show what agency they worked for, and they refused to answer questions.


June 4

Thursday was the first day the municipal government did not impose a curfew since Sunday. Protests on June 4 were peaceful and D.C. police did not make a single arrest. During the day, several hundred protesters gathered peacefully, kneeling with
raised fist The raised fist, or the clenched fist, is a long-standing image of mixed meaning, often a symbol of political solidarity. It is also a common symbol of communism, socialism, and other revolutionary social movements. It can also represent a salute ...
s at the steps of the
Lincoln Memorial The Lincoln Memorial is a U.S. national memorial built to honor the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is on the western end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., across from the Washington Monument, and is in the ...
, which in previous days had been blocked off by National Guard soldiers. A large
die-in A die-in, sometimes known as a lie-in, is a form of protest in which participants simulate being dead. Die-ins are actions that have been used by a variety of protest groups on topics such as animal rights, anti-war, against traffic violence, hum ...
was held for over eight minutes at the
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is a national memorial located in West Potomac Park next to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. It covers and includes the ''Stone of Hope'', a granite statue of Civil Rights Movement le ...
as well. Around 8pm, a thunderstorm rolled in and dispersed protesters at the White House. Two National Guardsman, non-critically injured by a lightning strike in Lafayette Square shortly after midnight, were the only reported casualties of the protests. An internal document (“Domestic Unrest -- Washington D.C. Overview”) compiled June 4, 2020 for General
Mark Milley Mark Alexander Milley (born June 20, 1958) is a United States Army general who serves as the 20th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He previously served as the 39th chief of staff of the Army from August 14, 2015 to August 9, 2019, and hel ...
and the
Joint Chiefs of Staff The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is the body of the most senior uniformed leaders within the United States Department of Defense, that advises the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council and the ...
, reports that 7,600 troops or personnel were deployed (5885) in Washington, D.C. or stationed (1,704) nearby. 2,935
National Guard National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. Nat ...
troops, 500 U.S. Capitol Police, 500 Metropolitan Police Department and 500
U.S. Secret Service The United States Secret Service (USSS or Secret Service) is a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security charged with conducting criminal investigations and protecting U.S. political leaders, their families, and ...
, 445
Bureau of Prisons The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Justice that is responsible for the care, custody, and control of incarcerated individuals who have committed federal crimes; that i ...
staff, 168
U.S. Marshals Service The United States Marshals Service (USMS) is a federal law enforcement agency in the United States. The USMS is a bureau within the U.S. Department of Justice, operating under the direction of the Attorney General, but serves as the enforcem ...
members, 160
Drug Enforcement Administration The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA; ) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, United States federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Justice tasked with combating drug trafficking and distribution within th ...
employees, 80
U.S. Park Police The United States Park Police (USPP) is one of the oldest uniformed federal law enforcement agencies in the United States. It functions as a full-service law enforcement agency with responsibilities and jurisdiction in those National Park Servic ...
and 32
FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
agents were deployed in Washington, D.C. 1,704 active-duty
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
troops were stationed at
Andrews Air Force Base Andrews Air Force Base (Andrews AFB, AAFB) is the airfield portion of Joint Base Andrews, which is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force. In 2009, Andrews Air Force Base merged with Naval Air Facility Washington to form Joint B ...
,
Fort Belvoir Fort Belvoir is a United States Army installation and a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. It was developed on the site of the former Belvoir plantation, seat of the prominent Fairfax family for whom Fair ...
and
Fort Myer Fort Myer is the previous name used for a U.S. Army post next to Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, and across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. Founded during the American Civil War as Fort Cass and Fort Whipple, t ...
.


June 5

On June 5
muralist A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' is a Spanish ...
s painted the words "
Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter (abbreviated BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement that seeks to highlight racism, discrimination, and racial inequality experienced by black people. Its primary concerns are incidents of police bruta ...
" in 35-foot letters on
16th Street NW 16th Street Northwest is a prominent north–south thoroughfare in the northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. Part of Pierre L'Enfant's design for the city, 16th Street begins just north of the White House across Lafayette Park at H Street and ...
leading up to the White House and Lafayette Square with the assistance of the city government, which gave the section of the street the honorary name
Black Lives Matter Plaza Black Lives Matter Plaza (officially Black Lives Matter Plaza Northwest) is a two-block-long pedestrian section of 16th Street NW in downtown Washington, D.C. The plaza was renamed by Mayor Muriel Bowser on June 5, 2020, after the Department of ...
. Mayor Bowser asked Trump to "withdraw all extraordinary law enforcement and military presence from Washington, D.C.", noting that protests the night before had been peaceful and she has ended the protest-related state of emergency in the city. The Pentagon later that day announced it was withdrawing 1,600 active-duty troops it had deployed near the city.


June 6

Demonstrations on Saturday featured over 10,000 people, the most of any in the city up to that point. Among the protesters that day were Senators Mitt Romney, Elizabeth Warren, and Representative John Lewis. The largest were centered around the White House, as in previous days, specifically several blocks running up to it on 16th Street. Other gatherings occurred intermittently at various locations, including 14th & U Street,
Meridian Hill Park Meridian Hill Park, also known as Malcolm X Park, is a structured urban park located in the Washington, D.C., neighborhood of Columbia Heights, Washington, D.C., Columbia Heights; it also abuts the nearby neighborhood of Adams Morgan. The park wa ...
, the Lincoln Memorial, the Capitol Building, Chinatown, and Thomas Circle. Some of these marches subsequently converged on 16th Street. Law enforcement presence was heavily scaled back, and the atmosphere resembled what some participants characterized as resembling a "block party" or "festival", in sharp contrast to the previous weekend. Some individuals spray-painted "Defund the Police" on the street where "Black Lives Matter" had been painted earlier the previous day, in a move intended to criticize Mayor Bowser, who also spoke at the protests near the White House. Police reported one arrest, for property damage, related to the protests on the 6th.


June 7

Protests continued on Sunday June 7. Protests at the new Black Lives Matter Plaza on 16th Street in front of the White House remained peaceful in the evening. The atmosphere of the protests was described in media as less tense than in previous days. In a tweet, Trump said he had ordered the National Guard to withdraw.


June 19

On the night of
Juneteenth Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Deriving its name from combining "June" and "nineteenth", it is celebrated on the anniversary of General Order No. 3, i ...
protesters gathered at the
Albert Pike Memorial The Albert Pike Memorial is a public artwork in Washington, D.C., erected in 1901 and partially demolished by protestors in 2020. It honors Albert Pike (1809–1891), a senior officer of the Confederate States Army as well as a poet, lawyer, a ...
in
Judiciary Square Judiciary Square is a neighborhood in Northwest Washington, D.C., the vast majority of which is occupied by various federal and municipal courthouses and office buildings. Judiciary Square is located roughly between Pennsylvania Avenue to the sou ...
and using ropes and chains toppled the statue of Pike. The statue was set on fire and a few minutes later local police extinguished the flames. The statue was removed the following day by the
National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...
(NPS). In response to the Pike statue being toppled, Trump tweeted: "The D.C. police are not doing their job as they watch a statue be ripped down & burn. These people should be immediately arrested. A disgrace to our Country!" Because the memorial is in a federal park, it is under jurisdiction of the NPS and U.S. Park Police, not the local police.


June 23

Hundreds of protesters gathered near Clark Mills' 1842 equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square within President's Park. Protesters spray painted "killer" and other phrases on the pedestal. Rioters then affixed ropes to the statue and unsuccessfully attempted to pull it down. Police used batons and pepper spray to disperse the crowd. Several days later, the
United States Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United State ...
(DOJ) charged four men with destruction of federal property for allegedly trying to bring down the statue. The Justice Department alleged that a video showed one of the men breaking off and destroying the wheels of the cannons located at the base of the statue as well as pulling on ropes when trying to bring down the statue. Soon afterwards, the DOJ announced the arrest and charging of a man who was not only allegedly seen on video climbing up onto the Jackson statue and affixing a rope that was then used to try to pull the statue down, but also had on June 20 helped destroy
Gaetano Trentanove Gaetano Trentanove (February 21, 1858 – March 13, 1937) was an Italian and American sculptor. Biography Trentanove was born in Florence, Italy, a goldsmith's son. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts of Florence, Florentine Academy; he was ...
's 1901
Albert Pike Memorial The Albert Pike Memorial is a public artwork in Washington, D.C., erected in 1901 and partially demolished by protestors in 2020. It honors Albert Pike (1809–1891), a senior officer of the Confederate States Army as well as a poet, lawyer, a ...
statue near Washington's
Judiciary Square Judiciary Square is a neighborhood in Northwest Washington, D.C., the vast majority of which is occupied by various federal and municipal courthouses and office buildings. Judiciary Square is located roughly between Pennsylvania Avenue to the sou ...
by pulling it from its base and setting it on fire. The DOJ's complaint alleged that the man had been captured on video dousing the federally-owned Pike statue with a flammable liquid, igniting it as it lay on the ground and using the fire to light a cigarette.


Prominent protesters

Former Democratic candidates for the
2020 United States presidential election The 2020 United States presidential election was the 59th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. The Democratic ticket of former vice president Joe Biden and the junior U.S. senator from California Kamala Ha ...
have appeared at the protests. Sen.
Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth Ann Warren ( née Herring; born June 22, 1949) is an American politician and former law professor who is the senior United States senator from Massachusetts, serving since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party and regarded as a ...
made an appearance at the protest outside the White House on June 2. Sen.
Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who is the 49th vice president of the United States. She is the first female vice president and the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history, as well ...
appeared at Black Lives Matter Plaza on June 5. Congressman
John Lewis John Robert Lewis (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) was an American politician and civil rights activist who served in the United States House of Representatives for from 1987 until his death in 2020. He participated in the 1960 Nashville ...
, the last surviving speaker from the
March on Washington The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, also known as simply the March on Washington or The Great March on Washington, was held in Washington, D.C., on August 28, 1963. The purpose of the march was to advocate for the civil and economic righ ...
who was being treated for Stage 4
pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of t ...
, visited Black Lives Matter Plaza on June 7, declaring it "very moving". Senator
Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American politician, businessman, and lawyer serving as the junior United States senator from Utah since January 2019, succeeding Orrin Hatch. He served as the 70th governor of Massachusetts f ...
was the first known Republican senator to publicly join the protests, attending a rally, and then joining the ''Faith Works'' march, on June 7, 2020, from southeast Washington, past the Trump International Hotel, and the
Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is the largest of the many reflecting pools in Washington, D.C., United States. It is a long and large rectangular pool located on the National Mall, directly east of the Lincoln Memorial, with the Washington ...
, stating, "We need many voices against racism and against brutality. We need to stand up and say that black lives matter." His participation echoes his father's
participation Participation or Participant may refer to: Politics *Participation (decision making), mechanisms for people to participate in social decisions *Civic participation, engagement by the citizens in government *e-participation, citizen participation ...
in the
civil rights movement The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional Racial segregation in the United States, racial segregation, Racial discrimination ...
during the 1960s.


Vandalism

The
Lincoln Memorial The Lincoln Memorial is a U.S. national memorial built to honor the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is on the western end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., across from the Washington Monument, and is in the ...
, the
World War II Memorial The World War II Memorial is a national memorial in the United States dedicated to Americans who served in the armed forces and as civilians during World War II. It is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The memorial consists ...
, and the statue of General
Casimir Pulaski Kazimierz Michał Władysław Wiktor Pułaski of the Ślepowron coat of arms (; ''Casimir Pulaski'' ; March 4 or March 6, 1745 Makarewicz, 1998 October 11, 1779) was a Polish nobleman, soldier, and military commander who has been called, tog ...
were vandalized during the protests in Washington, D.C. Unknown individuals vandalized the
statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...
of
Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
, the leader of the
Indian independence movement The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British rule in India. It lasted from 1857 to 1947. The first nationalistic revolutionary movement for Indian independence emerged ...
. The incident prompted the Indian Embassy to register a complaint with law enforcement agencies.
Taranjit Singh Sandhu Taranjit Singh Sandhu is an Indian diplomat and current List of ambassadors of India to the United States, Indian Ambassador to the United States. He previously served as High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka. Career Taranjit Singh Sandhu qua ...
, the Indian Ambassador to the United States called the vandalism "a crime against humanity". U.S. President
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
called the defacement of Mahatma Gandhi's statue in D.C. a "disgrace".


Blackout hoax

The #dcblackout hoax was an
internet hoax A hoax is a widely publicized falsehood so fashioned as to invite reflexive, unthinking acceptance by the greatest number of people of the most varied social identities and of the highest possible social pretensions to gull its victims into pu ...
shared by millions or tens of millions during the 2020
George Floyd protests The George Floyd protests were a series of protests and civil unrest against police brutality and racism that began in Minneapolis on May 26, 2020, and largely took place during 2020. The civil unrest and protests began as part of internati ...
. ''
NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
'' described the hoax as "well funded and well organized".'None of this is true': protests become fertile ground for online disinformation'
Morning Edition, NPR, June 2, 2020 The hoax described a US government shutdown of all civil communication channels in the District of Columbia and in some cases was accompanied by images of a burning Washington Monument. A disinformation expert at
Clemson University Clemson University () is a public land-grant research university in Clemson, South Carolina. Founded in 1889, Clemson is the second-largest university in the student population in South Carolina. For the fall 2019 semester, the university enro ...
hesitated to attribute the campaign to a specific actor but said it was "a classic
Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
move". BBC reported "Some of the most shared posts were sent by users who were not based in Washington DC or even in the US." Twitter suspended hundreds of accounts spreading the hashtag.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Floyd, George 2020 in Washington, D.C. African-American history of Washington, D.C. African-American-related controversies Attacks on buildings and structures in 2020 Attacks on buildings and structures in the United States
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Law enforcement controversies May 2020 crimes in the United States May 2020 events in the United States June 2020 events in the United States Protests in Washington, D.C. Race-related controversies in the United States