WASHINGTON — Law enforcement officers cleared protesters Tuesday from outside the White House following a clash the night before, pushing them beyond a space known as “Black Lives Matter Plaza” in the latest apparent effort to crack down on demonstrations steps from the president’s residence.
Earlier this month, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser helped name the area north of the White House “Black Lives Matter Plaza,” amid protests over George Floyd’s custodial death in Minneapolis.
“Defund the Police” street graffiti was also removed from the area on Tuesday.
The night before, protesters had tried to take down a statue of Andrew Jackson near the White House while attempting to carve out a Seattle-style “autonomous zone,” which they called the “Black House Autonomous Zone.” But police on Tuesday moved protesters out and cleared the area near Lafayette Square and St. John’s Episcopal Church, Fox News reported.
The D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, meanwhile, made two arrests on Monday night related to the demonstrations in Washington. It is unclear if law enforcement made any arrests on Tuesday morning.
Earlier Tuesday morning, President Trump warned protesters who damage federal property that they could be arrested and imprisoned. In a Fox News interview, he criticized state leaders for not being as tough on those who seek the destruction of historical monuments.
“A lot of states are weak. A lot of people are weak and they’re allowing it to happen,” Trump said.
President Trump vowed Tuesday that what happened in Seattle will not take place in the nation’s capital, and that no such “autonomous” zone” will be established in D.C. after protesters who attempted to set up such a space were cleared out the night before.
“There will never be an ‘Autonomous Zone’ in Washington, D.C., as long as I’m your President. If they try they will be met with serious force!” Trump tweeted Tuesday morning.
