WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 1: Police clash with protesters during a demonstration on June 1, 2020 in Washington, DC. Thousands of protesters took to the streets throughout Washington to continue to show anger after the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis. Police officer Derek Chauvin was filmed kneeling on Floyd’s neck before he was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. Floyd’s death, the most recent in a series of deaths of black Americans at the hands of police, has set off days and nights of protests across the country. (Photo by Joshua Roberts/Getty Images)
During a speech earlier today the president called himself “ally of peaceful protesters”.
As this speech was taking place, a group of peaceful protesters who were sitting in Lafayette Park just steps from the White House were gassed and shot with rubber bullets. Many protesters were seen pouring water into their eyes, according to a report from CNN. As it turns out, the crowd was being dispursed to make way for the president to walk across the park for a photo op at St. Johns Episcopal Church.
A convoy of military vehicles was seen driving through the White House gates ahead of the mandatory 7 pm E.T. curfew that was put in place by the Mayor of Washington D.C. WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 01: Trucks transport District of Columbia National Guard troops along Pennsylvania Avenue in support of law enforcement officers that are keeping demonstrators away from the White House June 01, 2020 in Washington, DC. Earlier in the day, President Donald Trump encouraged U.S. governors to be more aggressive against protesters following several nights of nationwide violence in response to the death of George Floyd while in the custody of the Minneapolis police. ‚ÄúYou have to dominate or you’ll look like a bunch of jerks, you have to arrest and try people,” he was reported saying during a call from the basement White House Situation Room. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Rep. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina has tried to encourage everyone to “lean in with compassion, not pointing fingers.”
The president (“the ally of peaceful protesters”) has also promised to mobilize federal resources including threatening to deploy the US Military if states do not send in their National Guard to protests.
