Thousands continue to protest near the White House

Thousands of protesters massed across the street from Lafayette Park near the White House on Tuesday, as military and civilian law enforcement personnel stood on the other side of a black chain link fence that had been put up overnight to block access to the park.

The crowd chanted the name of George Floyd and Black Lives Matter. Floyd is the black man who died while in police custody in Minnesota.

Q McQueen, traveled from Charlotte, North Carolina to demonstrate outside of the White House. He said he's in it for the "long battle."

"In all honesty, I don't think we'll get to see the change we want. I think it will come in the next generation. But that's what we're here for, the next generation. We gotta keep it moving. Aint just about us," he said.

The protesters also stood in front of St. John's Church, the historic church where President Donald Trump went for a photo op Monday night after the area around Lafayette Park was cleared of protesters by law enforcement officials using smoke canisters and pepper balls.

Matt Coleman from Bethesda, Maryland said Monday night's event is what drove him to come out on Tuesday.

"What I saw on the news last night, all the force on the peaceful protesters, it was messed up. And I felt angry watching it on the news," Coleman said.

Trump's increased show of force was evident across the city Tuesday.  Hours before a 7 p.m. curfew, cars were being stopped at military checkpoints in downtown Washington and a cavalry of armored military vehicles could be seen driving through the district.

Businesses were boarding up windows with plywood in anticipation of another night of violence after fires were set, windows were shattered, store shelves were emptied and dozens of police officers were injured in days of protests.