Activists were seen erecting makeshift barricades in the streets of Washington, DC on Monday evening, less than two miles away from the White House, with footage showing one protester hauling a piece of plywood labeled with the words “people’s fence” in spray paint.

Taking after Seattle’s Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP) – formerly the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) – the demonstrators have apparently christened the area the ‘Black House Autonomous Zone (BHAZ).

A group of protesters also gathered closer to the White House a few blocks away, where they attempted to tear down a statue honoring former president Andrew Jackson. 

Police reinforcements were sent into the area to stop any vandalism, after footage shared online showed that demonstrators have already attached straps to the monument in a bid to bring it down. Officers appeared to use pepper spray to disperse the crowd.

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