Police Halt Attempt to Topple Andrew Jackson Statue Near White House
Police carrying shields confronted protesters with batons, pepper spray and pepper bullets
Isaiah Bowen, right, takes a shot as his dad, Garth Bowen, center, looks on at a basketball hoop in front of the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia, June 21, 2020.
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA - Demonstrators in Virginia's capital formed an unlawful assembly at Richmond City Hall early Tuesday morning, police said, prompting warnings that people would be arrested if they didn't leave the area.
The gathering started forming Monday evening after city and state leaders said the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee miles away on Monument Avenue would be indefinitely closed from sunset until sunrise every night, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.
Several demonstrators rode bikes or pitched tents in front of city hall, which was dubbed "Reclamation Square." The protesters were demanding police reforms from city leaders, the newspaper reported.
Protests have taken place across the country and worldwide following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25.
Richmond police tweeted the warnings just after midnight, adding that the demonstration at city hall was unlawful, "due to conditions of activity such as sit-ins, sit-downs, blocking traffic, blocking entrances or exits of buildings that impact public safety or infrastructure."
At the Lee statue, protesters had remained after sunset, and the Times-Dispatch reported that police late Monday stood nearby but were not closing in on the people.
Officials said earlier Monday in a statement that the statue would be closed from sunset to sunrise each night for safety reasons, citing an increase in vandalism, trespassing, excessive noise and more.