Protesters topple, burn statue of Confederate General Pike in DC, media reports

A group of protesters toppled and set on fire a statue of Confederate General Albert Pike near the police headquarters in Washington DC, amid anti-racism demonstrations, media reported on Saturday.

 A group of protesters toppled and set on fire a statue of Confederate General Albert Pike near the police headquarters in Washington DC, amid anti-racism demonstrations, media reported on Saturday. NBC4 Washington reported that the incident took place late on Friday with demonstrators wrapping ropes around the monument to topple it and then dousing it with lighter liquid and set on fire.

According to the media, police officers outside Metropolitan Police Department headquarters did not take any action for several minutes after the arson. Then a group of about ten policemen arrived at the scene and extinguished the fire. Meanwhile, no clashes between the police and protesters have been reported. Later in the day, US President Donald Trump slammed DC police officers for failing to fulfill their duties.

"D.C. Police are not doing their job as they watch a statue be ripped down & burn. These people should be immediately arrested. A disgrace to our Country! @MayorBowser," the president wrote on Twitter. The killing of African American man George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police in late May sparked a wave of protests against police brutality and institutionalized racism spread to all 50 states and numerous countries worldwide.

As part of the protests, several monuments dedicated to controversial historical figures who took part in the American Civil War were removed either by the decision of local authorities or by the protesters themselves. 

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