Law enforcement officers cleared protesters Tuesday from outside the White House following a clash the night before, pushing them beyond a space known as "Black Lives Matter Plaza" in the latest apparent effort to crack down on demonstrations steps from the president's residence.
“Defund the Police” street graffiti was also removed from the area on Tuesday.
The night before, protesters had tried to take down a statue of Andrew Jackson near the White House while attempting to carve out a Seattle-style “autonomous zone,” which they called the “Black House Autonomous Zone.” But police on Tuesday moved protesters out and cleared the area near Lafayette Square and St. John’s Episcopal Church.
Earlier this month, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser helped name the area north of the White House "Black Lives Matter Plaza," amid protests over George Floyd's death in Minneapolis police custody.
The D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, meanwhile, made two arrests on Monday night related to the demonstrations in Washington. It is unclear if law enforcement made any arrests on Tuesday morning.
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