Washington: Military vehicles and officers in fatigues are closing off much of downtown Washington, DC to traffic ahead of what are expected to be the largest protests in the city yet over the killing of George Floyd.
The blocks inside the perimeter surrounding the White House were calm on Saturday morning, with joggers and cyclists taking advantage of the open streets before the daytime temperature rises.
Some people were preparing supplies for protesters, including water bottles and granola bars.
The White House has been fortified with new fencing and extra security precautions amid a week of largely peaceful protests that at times grew violent.
President Donald Trump is at the White House, with no public events on the schedule.
Authorities in the nation’s capital are expecting Saturday to be the largest demonstration against police brutality in the city since the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Washington has featured daily protests for the past week and they have largely been peaceful, with people marching back and forth from the White House to the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial.
Those numbers are expected to swell. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy told reporters Friday that local officials were projecting between 100,000 and 200,000 protesters.
Metropolitan Police Department Chief Peter Newsham wouldn’t commit to a number but predicted it would be smaller than the 1 million people who attended the Women’s March in 2017.
It comes as authorities have sought to reduce tensions by having National Guard troops not carry weapons.
There were zero arrests during demonstrations on Thursday and Friday and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser canceled the curfew that had been in place since Monday. She said she will decide on Saturday morning if it will be reinstated.
A number of D.C. churches and theaters have said they will open their lobbies so people can cool off.
AP