at the end of what has been a noisy, tumultuous,

and sometimes downright scary week here in Washington DC.

The protests sparked by the death of George Floyd in police

custody have been remarkable, not just

for the numbers of people attending

but also for the fact that they have

done so even in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic,

thereby putting their lives at risk.

They've also been remarkable, of course,

for the police response to them.

Here in Washington we've seen thousands of officers deployed,

not just from local police but also from the FBI,

from the Secret Service, from the National Guard.

Even prison officers and drug enforcement agents.

The other night, just after police used tear gas

to disperse crowds from outside the White House

a military helicopter buzzed low over our house here

in Washington DC while the protest

took place just a couple of blocks away.

For a city that has been on lockdown

and nearly deserted for the best part of two months

this has all come as something of a shock.

But it is also a worry for public health officials

who are concerned that they might trigger a second wave

of coronavirus cases.

On the plus side, all of the protests

have, of course, taken place outside,

which dramatically reduces the risk of transmission.

But while most of the protesters have been wearing masks,

not everyone has, and scientists warn

that chanting singing and shouting

can all help carry the virus further in the air.

The other night neighbours of ours even had to accept several

strangers into their house after police forced protesters off

the streets without giving them anywhere else to go.

It is still too early to say how these protests might change

America in the long term.

But for now we just have to hope that they

don't trigger a second wave of deadly coronavirus cases.