Fire set at historic St. John’s church during protests of George Floyd’s death

‘A fire was set in the basement of historic St. John’s Episcopal Church, across Lafayette Square from the White House, during demonstrations Sunday night expressing outrage at the death of George Floyd in police custody, police said.

Although the protests were largely peaceful in the afternoon and evening, small groups of people began setting fires and smashing windows once darkness fell.

Shortly after 10 p.m., someone tore down the American flag that hangs outside the butter-yellow church and appeared to toss the flag into a nearby fire. A glass door or window was shattered.

A person sprayed graffiti: “The Devil is across [the] street.”

D.C. police said a small fire was deliberately set in the basement. Under police escort, D.C. firefighters quickly extinguished it. Fire department spokesman Vito Maggiolo said the blaze did not appear to cause any significant damage.

“I guess God was on its side,” Maggiolo said. “It didn’t seem to have spread very much.”

Fire set at historic St. John’s church during protests of George Floyd’s death

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