Protests are a way of life in your Nation’s Capital. Inaugural events have always been a target. I can’t recall one without protests.
Besides those with signs and chanting peacefully there always seems to be a smaller, hard core group of anarchist types. Their goal has usually been to disrupt in a more physical way. I am not sure how big that contingent is this year, but whatever the size those are the protesters who usually get the most attention from the press. I’m as guilty as anyone because my Inauguration assignment as a TV reporter was often to cover the protests.
There were was a skirmish last (Thursday) night outside the DeploraBall at the National Press Club in Downtown Washington. News reports indicate police used OC spray on some of the crowd at one point.
There was also at least one small fire set in the street during the protest. The most interesting part of this was the interview (above) Fox News did with a boy named Carter who was standing over the ashes of that fire. Carter said on live television rather proudly, “I kind of started this fire.”
If only all arson cases were that easy to solve.
The video below is from the same event last night (not sure if it’s the same small fire). Check out how the protester almost caught his jacket on fire.
#DisruptJ20 protester lifts fire outside the #DeploraBall pic.twitter.com/CFcCEEcEl9
— Alex Rubinstein (@RealAlexRubi) January 20, 2017
