Protest near White House stays calm after curfew

The protest in the nation’s capital on Tuesday night lacked the tension of the previous nights’ demonstrations. The crowd in Lafayette Park near the White House was peaceful, polite even, as they protested the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minnesota.

Instead of the spray-painted tags, the protesters on Tuesday favored colorful children’s street chalk, writing Black Lives Matter slogans on the asphalt in front of St. John’s Church. Protesters chanted and talked among themselves, most wearing masks, but not social distancing in the age of COVID-19.

On Monday, law enforcement officers on foot and horseback aggressively drove protesters away from Lafayette Park, clearing the way for President Donald Trump to do a photo op at St. John’s Church, known as the church of presidents. On Tuesday, pastors at the church prayed with demonstrators and handed out water bottles.