A massive group of demonstrators has converged on the White House to protest police brutality, prompting the Secret Service to briefly place the building on lockdown as tensions run high between marchers and police.
Gathering in northwest Washington, DC on Friday evening, protesters briefly shut down traffic on a major thoroughfare before reaching the White House, where a heavy police presence, barricades and a huge crowd of demonstrators could be seen in videos shared online.
Police clad in riot gear were seen scrambling to get in position around the White House’s West Wing, where the Oval Office is located.
At one point during the action, a minor skirmish broke out with police as protesters attempted to tear down barricades, but the spat appears to have been resolved without any arrests or major injuries.
Around a dozen members of the White House press corps were trapped in the West Wing during the lockdown. As protesters began to disperse, an NPR reporter noted that an “intense demonstration” continued in nearby Lafayette Park.
After about an hour, protesters moved away from the White House, heading elsewhere in the city. The lockdown has since been lifted, with police seen withdrawing from the area.
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