By DCist contributor Alex Edelman

Hundreds of demonstrators spilled down Pennsylvania Avenue, moving from the White House to the steps of the U.S. Capitol, to rally against police brutality. “Hands up, don’t shoot,” they chanted. “We want justice,” they demanded. “No justice, no peace,” they said, yet again.

“We are tired of the senseless killings,” organizers wrote in protest of the fatal police shootings of Philando Castile in Minnesota and Alton Sterling in Louisiana.

Protesters gathered in Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House. In a Facebook post and an address from Poland, where he is attending a NATO summit, President Barack Obama said earlier in the day that “all Americans should recognize the anger, frustration, and grief that so many Americans are feeling—feelings that are being expressed in peaceful protests and vigils.”

As the crowd swelled to several hundred, demonstrators began to chant “to the Capitol”, and “no justice, no peace.” The Metropolitan Police Department shut down streets and intersections as they progressed. By the time the procession reached the U.S. Capitol, it appeared to be close to 1,000 people.

The demonstrators were greeted by barricades erected by the U.S. Capitol police on the West steps of the Capitol. Shortly after arriving, demonstrators broke through the barricades chanting, “This is our house.”

As tension between the retreating Capitol Police and protesters mounted, members
of the Congressional Black Caucus led by Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) addressed the crowd. The representatives were met with mixed reactions from the crowd. Some chanted, “do your jobs!” while others urged fellow demonstrators to allow the representatives to speak. Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD) was among a number of lawmakers who joined the demonstrators and urged them to march back toward the White House.