I'm speaking to you during a rare quiet moment
at the end of what has been a noisy, tumultuous,
and sometimes downright scary week here in Washington DC.
The protests sparked by the death of George Floyd in police
custody have been remarkable, not just
for the numbers of people attending
but also for the fact that they have
done so even in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic,
thereby putting their lives at risk.
They've also been remarkable, of course,
for the police response to them.
Here in Washington we've seen thousands of officers deployed,
not just from local police but also from the FBI,
from the Secret Service, from the National Guard.
Even prison officers and drug enforcement agents.
The other night, just after police used tear gas
to disperse crowds from outside the White House
a military helicopter buzzed low over our house here
in Washington DC while the protest
took place just a couple of blocks away.
For a city that has been on lockdown
and nearly deserted for the best part of two months
this has all come as something of a shock.
But it is also a worry for public health officials
who are concerned that they might trigger a second wave
of coronavirus cases.
On the plus side, all of the protests
have, of course, taken place outside,
which dramatically reduces the risk of transmission.
But while most of the protesters have been wearing masks,
not everyone has, and scientists warn
that chanting singing and shouting
can all help carry the virus further in the air.
The other night neighbours of ours even had to accept several
strangers into their house after police forced protesters off
the streets without giving them anywhere else to go.
It is still too early to say how these protests might change
America in the long term.
But for now we just have to hope that they
don't trigger a second wave of deadly coronavirus cases.