President's Park

Four men have been charged with destruction of federal property by the Justice Department. The complaint alleges that Lee Cantrell, Connor Judd, Ryan Lane and Graham Lloyd had "damaged and attempted to tear down the statue depicting Andrew Jackson located in Lafayette Square" and that "Cantrell was captured on video attempting to pry the statue off its base." According to the DOJ's statement, Judd was arrested on Friday.

In an interview with CBS News, Attorney General William Barr said protestors on Lafayette Square on June 1 were not peaceful, justifying the use of force by law enforcement. Barr claimed protestors were attacking officers by throwing projectiles and didn't leave the area after multiple warnings. "They were not peaceful protesters. And that’s one of the big lies that the media is, seems to be perpetuating at this point," so Barr. In an interview with The Associated Press, Barr also said: "I’m not involved in giving tactical commands like that. My attitude was, get it done, but I didn’t say, ‘Go do it."

On Thursday, the American Civil Liberty Union and Black Lives Matter D.C. filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, stating that both First Amendment and Civil rights were violated during Monday's clearing of Lafayette Square. Protestors were forcefully removed, using tear gas and rubber bullets, to make way for Donald Trump to reach St. John's Church for a controversial photo-op.

Lead plaintiff and Core Organizer of Black Lives Matter D.C. said: "What happened to our members Monday evening, here in the nation's capital, was an affront to all our rights." Ben Wizner, director of ACLU's Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project added: "The First Amendment right to protest is under attack, and we will not let this go unanswered. This is the first of many lawsuits the ACLU intends to file across the country in response to police brutality against protesters."

As the protests in Washington, D.C. entered into the third night, multiple fires were set near the White House. A fire was started in the lobby of the AFL-CIO, American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, and on two locations at Lafayette Square. Police have also responded to further fires across the city. Earlier D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has announced a citywide curfew. Protestors have also damaged buildings and cars. 

In response to the ongoing nearby protests, the White House turned off its external lights.