Church near White House at the center of controversy
:A6+INGT2N ± /eaders of the yellow church that has been at the center of the 'istrict of Columbia’s demonstrations say they are concerned about how police cleared protesters from the area earlier this week ± and upset that the city built a fence around their property in the name of safety.
3olice and city workers on 0onday and Tuesday cleared out people, signs, bicycles and tents from the intersection of th and + streets N:, in front of 6t. John’s (piscopal Church and across /afayette 6Tuare from the :hite +ouse.
8p went high fencing, blocking the park all along the south side of + 6treet, and blocking 6t. John’s ± but not other nearby buildings ± on the north side.
(piscopal Bishop 0ariann Budde and the 5ev. 5obert )isher, the church rector, say church leaders gave the city permission to put up fencing but believed the entire block was being cordoned off and didn’t want to be the only structure outside the barrier. Budde and )isher also said they were caught off guard by police involvement in clearing the street.
The moves were “a surprise to us,” said )isher, adding that church officials are trying to find a way to lower tensions on the street and once again allow protesters to access the front of the church.
“6t John’s isn’t just a building. It is a community of people striving to live their faith,” )isher said. “2ur aim is to be agents of grace. And we are actively seeking how to best do that as the situation is evolving continually right around us.”
6usana Castillo, a spokeswoman for 'istrict of Columbia 0ayor 0uriel Bowser, a 'emocrat, declined to say Thursday what the city had told church officials. “:e will continue to monitor the situation to ensure public health and safety are maintained,” Castillo said in a text message.
Bowser told reporters that + 6treet N: is being reopened to vehicles and needed cleaning to remove items causing a health or safety hazard. 6he also said city officials perceived new threats and tensions during protests this week.
City officials said the demonstrations had become increasingly violent ± a man was charged with throwing a 0olotov cocktail at a police officer Tuesday night, and some officers were hurt. They also said a grill set up by protesters in front of the church was a fire hazard, and Bowser’s chief of staff, John )alcicchio, said people were defecating and urinating on the church.
Budde said police told her that officials were worried about the largely wooden structure catching fire, especially after the 0olotov cocktail incident. 2n 0ay
, as demonstrations turned into riots, the church was set on fire by someone throwing an igniting substance through a window.
The next day, federal law enforcement officers cleared the area to protect the church.
The area outside 6t. John’s had since become not only a high-profile speaking spot for activists and clergy, but also a camp for homeless people evicted from /afayette 6Tuare, as well as the backdrop to a pop-up restaurant for protesters called (arl’s.
Now it is blocked off by fencing erected by the 'istrict government on city property on the north side of + 6treet N:. The National 3ark 6ervice erected the fencing on the south side of the street, by /afayette 6Tuare. 2n :ednesday night, Budde stood outside the church, which is part of the :ashington (piscopal 'iocese she oversees, and seemed pained by what she saw.
“It looks like the only reason that the police are here right now is to guard the church, and I don’t know who ordered that because I certainly didn’t, our director didn’t,” she said.
“:e obviously don’t want our church to burn down, but we also don’t want the police to be on our behalf escalating their presence and interactions.”
As police pushed down + 6treet on Tuesday morning ± tearing down signs and clearing tents ± volunteers from the 'istrict Aid 6tation outside the church tried to tell officials they were medics and noted they had permission from 6t. John’s to be there.
(ric 2tani, , who said he had been helping pull injured demonstrators out of crowds and over to medic stations almost daily since the protests began last month, paced up and down the police line, shouting.
“:e were here to help people,” said 2tani, as his team watched its items hauled off in city trucks.
Asked about the confrontations between police and protesters, Bowser said “:e need people to be peaceful. :e need people to act lawfully. :e can’t have our police officers assaulted.”