Tuesday's Protests Were Mostly Peaceful Even as Protesters Defied Curfews Across the Nation

Nationwide protests prompted by the death of George Floyd continued Tuesday night and were mostly peaceful even as protesters defied curfews that were meant to curtail the looting and vandalism that occurred during the night this past week.

The Washington Post reports that around 2,000 protesters gathered near the White House—the largest gathering in the nation’s capital since the protests began. The demonstration remained peaceful and mostly uneventful even after the curfew had passed. Tensions did rise after the sun went down.

From the Post:

But tensions also flared at multiple flash points during the day, as protesters faced an even larger contingent of federal law enforcement authorities than on Monday. Some turbulent gatherings Tuesday were hit with pepper spray and other shows of force as armored vehicles blocked city streets.

As the 7 p.m. curfew passed, protesters remained peaceful, and authorities did not take any action. But by nightfall, many families had left and the crowd had thinned to a much younger group.

That increased tensions, and some began throwing water bottles and shaking fences. As helicopters swirled overhead and the number of federal officers swelled, other protesters tried to stop the agitators, yelling, “Peaceful protest! Peaceful protest!”

In Los Angeles, thousands of protesters gathered outside Mayor Eric Garcetti’s residence to express their dissatisfaction with Garcetti’s response to demonstrations in the city. Many of those protesters were calling for the firing of Police Chief Michel Moore over his comments about Floyd’s death being on protesters’ “hands, as much as it is on those officers.”

Yet, there was no violence or chaos outside of the mayor’s home during the protest—only yoga and breathing exercises.

Despite the peace and sharp decrease in looting and vandalism, hundreds of protesters were still arrested for violating the city’s 6 p.m. curfew, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Meanwhile, in New York City, protesters marched from Brooklyn to Manhattan. After the 8 p.m. curfew passed, the crowd was met on the Manhattan Bridge by a police blockade, Pix 11 reports. Many of the protesters posted on social media that they were stuck on the bridge with blockades on both ends.

The ordeal ended without incident—well, except for the part where Spider-Man showed up.