Protests Today in Photos and Video: 9th Straight Night of Unrest

As the sun started to descend over Washington, the crowd of more than a thousand protesters gathered much like they had in days past: peacefully. Sandwiches were distributed. An aging white Volvo had cookies in its trunk.

But some things had changed: The curfew had been pushed from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. and the security perimeter around the White House had grown.

No longer were soldiers and the police behind a black chain-link fence, a barrier that by its nature had de-escalated any confrontation between law enforcement and the crowd the night before. Instead the officers and troops had surged forward by half a block, forming a human line of riot shields, helmets and camouflage. National Guard units blocked the streets with 2.5-ton Army transport trucks, vehicles that had been absent the previous nights.

For Rai Jackson, a 39 year old Methodist preacher, this was his first night on the line. Mr. Jackson is leading prayer on Sunday and wanted to see what was happening for himself before he stood in front of his congregation.

“My heart’s broken,” Mr. Jackson said. “But at the same time it gives me hope.”