Speed Reads

George Floyd protests

Firefighters extinguish blaze at historic St. John's Church in D.C.

Police said a fire was intentionally set in the basement of the historic St. John's Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., late Sunday night, but firefighters were able to quickly put the blaze out.

The church opened in 1816, and every president since James Madison has attended services there. D.C. firefighters also extinguished a fire in the lobby of the AFL-CIO building and another in a small building at Lafayette Park, across from the White House.

Over the last three nights, protesters have gathered near the White House, demanding justice for George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer put his knee on Floyd's neck for several minutes. Mayor Muriel Bowser activated the D.C. National Guard and set a curfew on Sunday for 11 p.m., but there were still some protesters in the streets early Monday morning.