GARRETT, WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE
NATION’S CAPITAL?
>> Reporter: CHRIS, AFTER WHAT
WERE 6 1/2 HOURS OF MOSTLY
PEACEFUL PROTESTS HERE AROUND
THE WHITE HOUSE, THINGS HAVE
DEFINITELY TAKEN A TURN HERE.
A LINE HAS BEEN CROSSED.
I’M STANDING AT THE CORNER OF
CONNECTICUT JUST ABOUT TWO
BLOCKS NORTH OF THE WHITE HOUSE.
YOU’RE LOOKING AT LEAST ONE CAR
SET AFLAME HERE BY PROTESTERS.
I DON’T THINK YOU CAN PROBABLY
MAKE IT OUT IN A SHOT, BUT A LOT
OF THE WINDOWS HERE ALONG
CONNECTICUT AVENUE HAVE BEEN
SMASHED AND THE BUSINESSES HERE,
BANKS, RESTAURANTS, OFFICE
BUILDINGS AND SO FORTH.
I THINK WHAT WE SAW HERE TONIGHT
WAS PROTESTERS WHO WERE STYMIED
IN THEIR ATTEMPTS TO GET CLOSER
TO THE WHITE HOUSE, CLOSER TO
LAFAYETTE PARK, WHICH WAS REALLY
LOCKED DOWN BY PARK POLICE,
SECRET SERVICE, AND OTHERS,
SPREADING OUT INTO THE DOWNTOWN
D.C. AREA, AND WITH THEM HAS
COME MORE DESTRUCTION HERE SO
FAR.
JUST WITHIN THE LAST MOMENTS,
D.C. FIRE AND EMS HAVE GOTTEN ON
THE SCENE AND THEY LOOK TO BE
GETTING THIS CAR FIRE UNDER
CONTROL.
I’M OBVIOUSLY NOT IN A POSITION
TO GET UP AND AROUND THE CORNER
RIGHT NOW.
I THINK YOU CAN PROBABLY SEE
METROPOLITAN POLICE OFFICERS.
THAT’S THE NORMAL RANK AND FILE
D.C. POLICE.
THEY’VE BASICALLY LOCKED OFF THE
REST OF THIS STREET HERE,
SEPARATING A CROWD OF PERHAPS
150, 200 PROTESTERS WHO HAVE
KIND OF BROKEN OFF FROM WHAT WAS
THE MAIN LARGER GROUP CLOSER TO
THE WHITE HOUSE, SEPARATING THEM
OFF FROM I STREET, WHICH IS
WHERE THE CAR IS ON FIRE.
WE SAW AT LEAST ONE OTHER
VEHICLE ON FIRE IN THE AREA.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THIS LARGER
GROUP THAT HAD BEEN OUTSIDE THE
WHITE HOUSE EARLIER TONIGHT, IN
FACT, ONE OF THE PROTEST
ORGANIZERS CAME OUT AND CLASS
TIEZ
-- CHASTISED QUITE LOUDLY SOME
PROTESTER FOR SETTING FIRE IN A
TRASH CAN, SAYING THIS IS NOT
WHAT WE’RE HERE TO DO.
WE’RE NOT HERE TO DESTROY.
WE’RE HERE TO CONVEY A MESSAGE.
THAT MESSAGE IS GOING TO GET
LOST IN THIS AS WE NOW HAVE SOME
SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE HERE JUST TWO
BLOCKS FROM THE WHITE HOUSE,
CHRIS.
>> IS THIS THE BIGGEST
ESCALATION YOU’VE SEEN
THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT?
>> Reporter: OH, BY FAR.
BY FAR.
THERE’S, YOU KNOW, A SERIES OF
PROTESTERS WHO MARCHED FROM
DIFFERENT POINTS IN THE CITY TO
THE WHITE HOUSE EARLIER TODAY,
TO LAFAYETTE PARK.
THAT’S A NORMAL OCCURRENCE IN
WASHINGTON, D.C.
IT IS A IF NOT WEEKLY, CERTAINLY
MONTHLY, YOU HAVE LARGE PROTESTS
AT THE WHITE HOUSE, IN LAFAYETTE
PARK.
IT’S COMMON, YOU KNOW.
IT’S ONE OF THE THINGS PEOPLE
COME TO WASHINGTON FOR IS TO
PROTEST THEIR GOVERNMENT.
YOU SEE IT ALL THE TIME.
OVER THE COURSE OF THE NIGHT,
THINGS WERE TENSE BUT NEVER
FULL-ON VIOLENT.
YOU’D SEE PLASTIC BOTTLES BEING
TOSSED, OCCASIONALLY PEPPER
SPRAY BEING USED TO BREAK UP
CROWDS.
REALLY ONLY WITHIN THE LAST 30
TO 45 MINUTES HAVE WE SEEN THIS
ESCALATION, AGAIN JUST A COUPLE
BLOCKS NORTH OF THE WHITE HOUSE.
IT’S OBVIOUSLY PRETTY TRICKY TO
GET AROUND RIGHT NOW.
THE PATCHWORK OF POLICE AGENCIES
THAT PATROL D.C. ARE NOW OUT IN
PRETTY SIGNIFICANT FORCE.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE D.C.
NATIONAL GUARD, WHICH IS
FEDERALLY CONTROLLED -- THAT
MEANS NOT BY THE MAYOR BUT
THEORETICALLY BY THE SECRETARY
OF ARMY, THE DEPARTMENT OF
DEFENSE, FEDERAL CONTROL UNIT,
HAS BEEN CALLED IN ALTHOUGH I’VE
NOT PHYSICALLY LAID EYES ON THEM
MYSELF.
AGAIN, THIS SORT OF GREATER
WHITE HOUSE REGION OF DOWNTOWN
D.C., THE CENTER OF ACTIVITY
HERE TONIGHT, IT’S NOT A PART OF
THE DISTRICT WHERE MANY PEOPLE
LIVE.
IT’S A BUSINESS DISTRICT, AND IN
MANY CASES ON A NORMAL NIGHT,
EVEN A NORMAL SATURDAY NIGHT,
THIS AREA WOULD BE COMPLETELY
EMPTY.
THERE ARE HUNDREDS WHERE I CAN
SEE, AND AT TIMES THOUSANDS OF
PEOPLE SURROUNDING LAFAYETTE
PARK ON SORT OF THE NORTHERN
REGION, IF YOU’VE EVER BEEN TO
D.C., IF YOU’VE HAD YOUR PICTURE
TAKEN IN FRONT OF THE WHITE
HOUSE, YOU HAVE WALKED THROUGH
LAFAYETTE PARK.
THAT’S ESSENTIALLY A POLICE ZONE
NOW, FULLY CONTROLLED, AND NOW
YOU’RE SEEING OFFICERS CLEARING
ACROSS CONNECTICUT AVENUE HERE,
TRYING TO CLEAR OUT THE
PROTESTERS AGAIN WHO BROKE OFF
FROM THAT MAIN GROUP AND SPREAD