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“Just got attacked by an angry mob of over 100, one block away from the White House,” tweeted Sen. Rand Paul early on Friday.
Early on Friday, Sen. Rand Paul vented his frustration on Twitter over being attacked by a “crazed mob.” He wrote:
“Just got attacked by an angry mob of over 100, one block away from the White House.” He followed this with another tweet that read, “Thank you to DCPoliceDept for literally saving our lives from a crazed mob.”
Video from the event on social media shows a crowd of protesters who had gathered in front of the White House as President Trump prepared to give a speech on the South Lawn. The demonstrators yelled, “No justice, no peace!” while waving anti-Trump and Black Lives Matter signs. A band was also playing during the demonstration.
Once Trump’s speech ended, things started to get unruly. As guests started to leave the event, the protesters started chanting and yelling at them.
This included Sen. Rand Paul and his wife, who police escorted as they returned to their hotel. Video from the event shows protesters jeering at Paul as he left the area unharmed.
Only minor scuffles were reported and the night was mostly peaceful. However, protesters have been gathering at the White House for some time. As a result, pop-up eateries have even appeared with a smoke grill to provide food for the demonstrators.
Related: Biggest Takeaways From Night One of the RNC
Long after Trump gave his speech at the White House, hundreds of people remained to continue their protest. Indeed, scuffles broke out at times, such as when a white man wearing blackface walked through the Black Lives Matter plaza.
Consequently, he was slapped by a black protester. Police escorted the man away from protesters and put him into the back of a police car.
A group called “Refuse Fascism,” led a crowd of about 150 protesters through the plaza. One of the march leaders, Carl Dix, said that they were marching to emphasize the urgency behind the election. He said he was concerned about the country tilting toward fascism.
“The Republican National Convention is a celebration of how far they’ve come in hammering a fascist agenda into place,” said Dix. “I’ve been fighting for revolution for 50 years, so it ain’t like I love what’s been happening in this country. But I also see that these are fascists.”
Related: Police Shoot Unarmed Black Man in Wisconsin, Prompting Protests
