
What you see:
America’s allies and adversaries can’t believe what they are witnessing unfold in Washington, D.C. — a police officer punching an Australian cameraman and using his shield to strike him in the chest, while another officer uses a baton to hit the correspondent as the news crew attempts to flee.
Violent, chaotic scenes like this have been seen elsewhere around the globe — but other countries are reacting with horror as they are not used to seeing them in the heart of the U.S. capital.
After days of nationwide demonstrations over the death of George Floyd, police were using tear gas, projectiles and mounted officers to forcefully scatter peaceful protesters near the White House, all so President Donald Trump could walk to St. John’s Episcopal Church for a photo opportunity.
“They don’t care; they are being indiscriminate,” Amelia Brace, the correspondent with Australia’s Channel 7, said breathlessly after running from the scene. “They chased us down that street. They were firing these rubber bullets at everyone. There’s tear gas now and we’re surrounded.”
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Tear Gas Clears Path for Trump to Visit Church–The New York Times
Police officers used flash grenades to disperse a crowd so the president could visit for a photo opportunity. And in New York, protesters and looters defied a curfew.
The police use tear gas to clear a path for Trump to visit a damaged church.
Police officers used tear gas and flash grenades to clear out the crowd so Mr. Trump could visit the nearby St. John’s Church, where there had been a parish house basement fire Sunday night. The president stood in front of the boarded up church posing for photographs with a Bible, after the police dispersed peaceful protesters.
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Trump Says He’ll Deploy Military To States If They Don’t Stop Violent Protests -NPR-June 1, 2020 6:21 PM ET
Trump’s Rose Garden remarks came as just across the street, law enforcement officers deployed tear gas and shot rubber bullets to forcefully disperse peaceful protesters. Washington, D.C., had set a curfew Monday of 7 p.m. ET.
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Before Trump vows to end ‘lawlessness,’ federal officers confront protesters outside White House- Washington Post
Hundreds of protesters were pushed away from Lafayette Square, where they were protesting the police killing of George Floyd, by the National Guard, U.S. Park Police and Secret Service. The ambush began half an hour before the city’s newly imposed curfew of 7 p.m. went into effect. When the crowds were cleared, the president walked through the park to visit the historic St. John’s Episcopal Church, which had been set on fire Sunday.
Minutes later, law enforcement officers fired at the gathered masses. Rubber bullets hit protesters who were standing atop a bathroom that had been burned the night before. One person fell from the structure. People ran down 16th Street, trying to flee the chemical canisters spewing gasses that left them coughing. Some stopped running when they started vomiting. Others yelled “Walk! Walk!” in attempts to avoid a stampede.
A retired four-star Marine general on Wednesday excoriated President Donald Trump’s threats to use the military on protesters and his controversial church photo op on Monday, writing that his actions “may well signal the beginning of the end of the American experiment.”
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Retired Marine Gen. John Allen: Trump’s threats of military force may be ‘the beginning of the end of the American experiment’
The Complete Story:
Date: June 4, 2020
Contact: uspp_pio@nps.gov
UPDATE June 3, 2020: NOTE: USPP officers and other assisting law enforcement partners did not use tear gas or OC Skat Shells to close the area at Lafayette Park on Monday, June 1. |
The statement below was originally released on June 2, 2020.
WASHINGTON – The United States Park Police (USPP) is committed to the peaceful expression of First Amendment rights. However, this past weekend’s demonstrations at Lafayette Park and across the National Mall included activities that were not part of a peaceful protest, which resulted in injuries to USPP officers in the line of duty, the destruction of public property and the defacing of memorials and monuments. During four days of demonstrations, 51 members of the USPP were injured; of those, 11 were transported to the hospital and released and three were admitted.
Multiple agencies assisted the USPP in responding to and quelling the acts of destruction and violence over the course of the weekend in order to protect citizens and property.
On Monday, June 1, the USPP worked with the United States Secret Service to have temporary fencing installed inside Lafayette Park. At approximately 6:33 pm, violent protestors on H Street NW began throwing projectiles including bricks, frozen water bottles and caustic liquids. The protestors also climbed onto a historic building at the north end of Lafayette Park that was destroyed by arson days prior. Intelligence had revealed calls for violence against the police, and officers found caches of glass bottles, baseball bats and metal poles hidden along the street.
To curtail the violence that was underway, the USPP, following established policy, issued three warnings over a loudspeaker to alert demonstrators on H Street to evacuate the area. Horse mounted patrol, Civil Disturbance Units and additional personnel were used to clear the area. As many of the protestors became more combative, continued to throw projectiles, and attempted to grab officers’ weapons, officers then employed the use of smoke canisters and pepper balls. USPP officers and other assisting law enforcement partners did not use tear gas or OC Skat Shells to close the area at Lafayette Park. Subsequently, the fence was installed.
Throughout the demonstrations, the USPP has not made any arrests. The USPP will always support peaceful assembly but cannot tolerate violence to citizens or officers or damage to our nation’s resources that we are entrusted to protect.
To be fair there was a small amount of the articles that would give a very abbreviated note of the United States Park Police side of the story.
We were under the impression that responsible reporting, included reporting both sides of a situation and not be judge and executioner. This dereliction to journalism is not only sad, but extremely dangerous to the fabric of the country.
The only way we’re going to reverse this course is if American Citizens show up to vote on Nov 8th.. 1 percent of the millions who did not vote in 2016, could and most likely will set the direction of this country. Exercise your privelege and right on Nov 8th.
You can contact your representative on this site. click on the “For more Info” and go to your state, you will find a district map, followed by Senate and congress information. Contact and let your representative that they are on notice. looking at 4 clicks and 5 minutes of your time..
Thanks for reading. God Bless and Godspeed. Stay safe