Downtown DC burns after another night of protests and provocation near the White House

Yahoo News Video

Protesters clashed with law enforcement for the third straight evening outside the White House and numerous businesses were vandalized by rioters defying a citywide curfew. Flames and smoke rose into the night, and officials and journalists struggled to understand who exactly was responsible for the worst of the damage.

Video Transcript

- So here I am in Lafayette Park across from the White House. The complex is right back there. And for the third night in a row, there are tense, tense clashes between protesters and a large group of federal and local law enforcement. It does seem now that the law enforcement has moved into this park, as we are now about 20 minutes from the curfew set to begin.

If you hear that crack, those cracks, it sounds like they are using flash bang grenades and rubber bullets to disperse this crowd. I am moving across what I believe is H Street. Again, we are in downtown Washington, DC about two blocks from the White House.

- CBS.

- These people are now saying go to CBS. If you hear those cracks behind me, the police are shooting. We're here in downtown DC across from the White House. Protesters are being dispersed from Lafayette Park. And the police are shooting rubber bullets, I believe.

There was tear gas. There's been flash bangs. The law enforcement in the park included-- I'm going to get out of this area. The law enforcement in this park included National Guard, Secret Service. Everyone is running through the street. I heard multiple shots that I believe were rubber bullets coming from law enforcement.

Here we are in Connecticut Avenue, Connecticut Avenue and 17th Street in the heart of downtown Washington, about two blocks from the White House. Oh. So excuse me guys, you just left the park.

- Yeah that shit was crazy.

- Yeah, my name's Hunter. I'm with Yahoo. What-- were they shooting rubber bullets? What just happened there?

- Yeah, they shoot with rubber bullets. They shoot, what's that, tear gas. They shooting all that--