DC officials have requested assistance from the National Guard in anticipation of large-scale protests surrounding the upcoming Derek Chauvin trial verdict, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a press conference today. That request is still pending.
City officials would not elaborate on the details of the request, but did confirm they did not request the Guard be armed. DC Police are also currently operating on a modified schedule in preparation for the verdict. The force is fully activated with officers working 12-hour shifts.
Many large cities across the country are making similar preparations, especially in Minneapolis where George Floyd was killed. Should Chauvin be found not guilty, many anticipate the possibility of large-scale protests similar to those seen last summer erupting around the nation.
Jane is a Chicago transplant who now calls Cleveland Park her home. Before joining Washingtonian, she wrote for Smithsonian Magazine and the Chicago Sun-Times. She is a graduate of Northwestern University, where she studied journalism and opera.
