WASHINGTON — Police continue to guard St. John's Church Episcopal Church near Black Lives Matter Plaza after clashes with protesters in the area Wednesday night.
After a relatively calm and quiet day, a small group of protesters marched towards the highway Wednesday evening, advocating for racial justice.
Suspected protests caused DC police to preemptively shut down several roads, ramps and entrances near I-395 approaching the 3rd street tunnel around 8 p.m. A group had marched through the same tunnel Tuesday night shortly before 11 p.m.
Other protesters showed up at DC Councilmember Charles Allen's house and chanted for him to wake up, while also banging on pots and pans. Traffic was impacted in this area of the city too.
It's not the first time protesters have forced road closures. Traffic was also jammed on I-395 due to protests near an off-ramp in the District over Father's Day weekend.
D.C. has been a hotbed of protest activity for more than a month following the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody.
On Tuesday, DC Police cleared protesters and tent encampments from the area now called Black Lives Matter Plaza.
The action taken by DC Police followed a hectic time near the White House on Monday. Protesters attempted to tear down the Andrew Jackson state that honor the country's seventh president for his actions during the War of 1812.
Statues that honor those with controversial past involving race and social issues have come under scrutiny — especially Confederate statues.
The Freemason statue of Confederate General Albert Pike was torn down and burned last Friday by protesters.
Protesters on Tuesday did say they will look to tear down the Emancipation Memorial statue at Lincoln Park on Thursday.
Rep Eleanor Holmes Norton has called for the removal of all three statues and said she will introduce legislation for the Emancipation Memorial statue and Andrew Jackson statue to come down.
