On Sunday, rioters have reportedly vandalised and set on fire an over 200-year-old historic St John’s church near the White House, following the killing of a 46-year-old black man named George Floyd by a white officer, Derek Chauvin, on May 25, reports The Washington Post. A graffiti with “The Devil is across [the] street” was also sprayed on one of the walls of the church.
In one of the videos of the incident shared online, rioters can be been ripping down the Americal flag hanging outside the church and appear to toss the flag into a nearby fire. A glass door or window was also allegedly shattered.
Terrorist group ANTIFA outside the White House lighting St. Johns Church on Fire and ripping down its American flag.
— Benny (@bennyjohnson) June 1, 2020
St. John’s was built in 1816 every president since Madison has worshiped there.
Abe Lincoln prayed in this building.
Send ANTIFA to GITMO!pic.twitter.com/iUfnZV9yhl
“This church has been standing in our city since the early 1800s. Please avoid the area,” the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) of the District of Columbia said on Twitter on Sunday.
Washington DC police said a small fire was deliberately set in the basement of the parish house, which holds offices and the church’s nursery. Under police escort, DC firefighters quickly extinguished it. Fire department spokesman Vito Maggiolo said the blaze did not appear to cause any significant damage. No one from the church was reportedly in the building when the incident took place.
St. John’s Episcopal Church was built in 1815 and its first service was Oct. 27, 1816. It’s often called the “church of the presidents.” According to the church website, every president since James Madison has attended at least one service there.
Rioters desecrate 142-year-old Cathedral in New York, Synagogue in Los Angeles with hateful graffiti
In a similar incident on Saturday, rioters had reportedly desecrated the 142-year old St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan in New York.
Two walls of the Cathedral were desecrated with hateful graffiti and the stairs were spray-painted in black with the name of the victim. The walls were defaced with words such as ‘F*ck’, ‘BLM (Black Lives Matter)’, NJNP (No Justice No Peace) that were written in black letters. As per the report, the sacrilegious act was committed when a mob marched past the Cathedral towards Fifth Avenue. Later, workers had scrubbed down the graffiti at the iconic cathedral.
Similarly, Synagogue Congregation Beth El on Beverly Blvd in Los Angeles was also vandalised by rioters.
“F*ck Israel” and “Free Palestine” graffiti appeared on the synagogue.
The Killing of George Floyd
On May 25, a 46-year-old African-American man, George Floyd was reportedly murdered by a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, who knelt on the former’s neck for 7 long minutes until his body became unresponsive. A shopkeeper had called the cops on Floyd for allegedly trying to pass a ‘potential counterfeit bill’. Despite the victim complaining about not being able to breathe, coupled with verbal protest from onlookers, the said officer was unmoved. On being taken to the Hennepin County Medical Center, Floyd was pronounced dead.
Riots in Minneapolis
On Wednesday night, Police cars were vandalised and pelted with rocks. To pacify the situation, the cops resorted to firing tear gas and rubber bullets at the frenzied mob. Windows of unmanned stores were broken. Shops were raided and looted, all in the garb of a peaceful protest. Home goods such as rugs and coffee makers were stolen and stores were set ablaze. The mob also breached the security and reached for the police precinct in the neighbourhood where Floyd died. The building was set of fire by the unruly mob, amidst slogans demanding justice for the victim. On Saturday, the riots spread across the country.
