White House tightens security with extra fencing as protests continue in D.C.

Bret Gibson
Thursday, June 4, 2020 5:39 p.m. | Thursday, June 4, 2020 5:39 p.m.

With the White House in the background, a man stands near a fence Thursday in Washington as demonstrators protest over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers.

With the White House in the background, people stand against a fence Thursda in Washington as demonstrators protest over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers.

A person stands next to a fence as demonstrators protest, Thursday, June 4, 2020, near the White House in Washington, over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers.

Extra metal fencing has been installed around the White House on Thursday for protection against recent protests in response of the death of George Floyd.

The added fortification is “standard anti-riot fencing and ranges from seven feet to more than nine feet high,” a source from the Secret Service told Fox News.

A video from CNN’s Betsy Klein showed the construction of the third layer of fencing extending down 17th Street from Pennsylvania Avenue to Constitution Avenue.

More fencing going up around the White House complex early this morning pic.twitter.com/VLBRnx1lgz

— Betsy Klein (@betsy_klein) June 4, 2020

Fox News reported several agencies securing the White House area were a joint effort including the Secret Service, D.C. Metropolitan Police and Park Police.

The Washington Post reported that protesters breached a temporary fence outside the White House last Friday, which led to President Donald Trump being rushed to a bunker inside the building.

Trump reportedly has been furious about news coverage revealing he had gone to the secure bunker.

Update: A massive addition of fencing appears to have taken place since I was last here. Fencing starts just after F St along 17th and runs all the way to Constitution.

The president’s residence is now cocooned in a massive rectangle of fencing. https://t.co/QMokDiDkny

— Hannah Natanson (@hannah_natanson) June 4, 2020

No curfew tonight in #WashingtonDC , zero arrests made last night and active military duty going home.

Still, White House got a very long new fence to keep off protestors: pic.twitter.com/qmVoRwlWof

— Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) June 4, 2020

A fitting image to mark the end of this presidency. A vain, confused, furious man alone in a bunker, under a darkened White House, surrounded—at last—by his fence and his wall. pic.twitter.com/52d2UW9UMr

— Kieran Healy (@kjhealy) June 4, 2020

If Trump erected more than 3 miles of fence around the White House, it would exceed the length of his new wall on the southern border. His bigotry is only exceeded by his incompetence. https://t.co/wzbvjPQRhT

— Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) June 4, 2020

Bret Gibson is a TribLive digital producer. A South Hills resident, he started working for the Trib in 1998. He can be reached at bgibson@triblive.com.