The White House, Barricaded: Scenes surrounding the “fortress”

After law enforcement forcefully removed peaceful protestors from Lafayette Square for a Trump photo op on Monday, June 1, the security perimeter around the White House began expanding. Tuesday morning, a tall fence went up on the north side of Lafayette square. A barricade of guards—including federal police officers in riot gear and no identifiable markings—pushed back another block.

The White House is currently, in effect, a fortress. (Some have compared it to a prison, or a compound). Trump has since threatened to use military force against the people protesting the senseless death of George Floyd —and countless other black Americans—at the hands of police. On Wednesday morning, I watched as D.C. residents biked or ran past heavily armed officers while newscasters recorded dispatches and an out-of-town couple blasted Christian worship music. Some graffiti remained, including on the Department of Treasury building, and businesses stayed boarded. Besides a bit of buzz around the barricade, downtown remained eerily empty, though a few activities seemed nearly normal — men in bandanas planted begonias, and boarded-up establishments opened for business.

Here’s an early-morning glimpse blocks from the White House, on June 3, 2020.