Black Lives Matter Activists Clash With Police Outside U.S. Capitol

Washington, DC – Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters clashed with police outside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, after the officers refused to allow them to hang a banner demanding the expulsion of lawmakers who the group deemed to be “fascists.”

The “ShutDownDC” group gathered outside the seven-feet-tall, non-scalable security fencing that was erected around the U.S. Capitol complex in the wake of the Jan. 6 riot and began writing down the names of congressional Republicans who have supported President Donald Trump’s attempts to challenge the election results, the Washington Examiner reported.

“It’s not enough to impeach the President of the United States,” one of the BLM group’s organizers declared, according to the paper. “We need to expel the members of Congress who aided and abetted and facilitated the political conditions to allow a fascist mob to overtake the Capitol and have five people die.”

The BLM protesters were trying to tie an “EXPEL ALL FASCISTS” sign to the fence when they were stopped by police, the Washington Examiner reported.

Would love to know where all these cops were last week pic.twitter.com/jG9Nc0CbiZ

— ShutDownDC (@ShutDown_DC) January 13, 2021

The officers told the group they were protesting without a permit and ordered them to leave the area or they would be subject to arrest.

The demonstrators then began yelling at the line of law enforcement officers and accused them of being fascists and only protecting Trump supporters, the Washington Examiner reported.

Happening now banner raising at the Capitol by @ShutDown_DC pic.twitter.com/gTkIjWDiuz

— Black House News (@blackhousenew) January 13, 2021

“No cops! No KKK! No fascist USA!” the mob chanted during the heated standoff.

U.S. Capitol Police and a group of National Guard soldiers ultimately drove the BLM crowd away from the fence and the Capitol building before the group dispersed, the Washington Examiner reported.

U.S. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said last week the non-scalable fencing – which stretches around the Capitol from Constitution Avenue to Independence Avenue and First Avenue to the Capitol Pond – will remain up for at least 30 days, ABC News reported.