What to Know
- Hundreds of people are demonstrating near the White House Tuesday night as they wait to find out who will be the next president of the United States
- Washington, D.C., officials say they welcome peaceful demonstrations, and warned against any possible violence
- Downtown businesses have boarded up windows and there is a "non-scalable" fence surrounding the White House in case of potential unrest
Hundreds of demonstrators are gathering in Washington, D.C., to protest, dance and pray as they await the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Many in the crowds that began to gather Tuesday afternoon at Black Lives Matter Plaza near the White House held signs protesting President Donald Trump or showing support for former Vice President Joe Biden. Dozens of posters and cardboard signs were plastered on the fence bordering Lafayette Square.
While demonstrations have largely been peaceful, a scuffle broke out before 10 p.m. and it appeared police detained one person.
After nightfall, protesters held up large black banners that read from above "Trump Lies All The Time" and "Remove Trump" in white print.
The demonstrations seemed like a lively block party at times, with Go-Go music blaring and people dancing.
But by about 9 p.m., the atmosphere shifted as people began to turn their attention to the election results that continue to roll in.
The diverse group of demonstrators includes Christians praying for peace and supporters of both President Donald Trump and Vice President Joe Biden. Some of those supporters told News4 they were anxious to learn who will win the election.
Photos: Demonstrators Gather At Black Lives Matter Plaza, Police Prepare for Unrest
News4's Cory Smith reported there was a small scuffle on Black Lives Matter Plaza about 5:15 p.m. It appeared at least one person was detained.
All D.C. police officers will be on duty and on the streets in the coming days as the city braces for the possibility of civil unrest around the election.
"It's unclear if we'll have a result even tonight, maybe not until later in the week. So, it's a little, you know, we're not really sure what's going to happen," Police Chief Peter Newsham said Tuesday afternoon.
"We invite anybody that wants to come down here [to] exercise their first amendment right. We welcome them to come enjoy themselves and we just ask them not to be involved in any violent behavior," Newsham said.
Businesses downtown boarded up their windows and storefronts, and federal officials have increased security at the White House.
Crews put up a "non-scalable" fence outside the White House Monday night.
The D.C. National Guard received a request from the U.S. Park Police to be on standby this week. That request was later either withdrawn or denied and the D.C. National Guard was told to stand down for now, spokesman Sr. Master Sgt. Craig Clapper said.
“That could change at any time,” he said. “Last week we were mentally preparing but over the weekend we were told to stand down.”
Businesses have boarded up just in case expected protests turn violent. Adam Tuss reports.
The D.C. government did not request National Guard resources.
Mayor Muriel Bowser said police are ready. She said she welcomes peaceful protests and warned against them turning violent.
At least six groups have requested permits for protests in the District over the next few days, D.C. officials said.
The mayor said she is not considering a curfew for D.C. but would do so if necessary.
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November 04, 2020 at 09:44AM
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DC Election Night Demonstrations Lively, Largely Peaceful - NBC4 Washington
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