Protests continue following Trump’s ‘Law and Order’ speech and DC church visit
Today marks the eighth straight day of nationwide protests following the May 24 killing of George Floyd in Minnesota by four Minneapolis police officers. All four of those officers were terminated from their jobs immediately following the viral cell phone video of Floyd’s killing; and one of the officers, Derek Chauvin, has been arrested and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
Chauvin can be seen in the video kneeling on Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes until the handcuffed and unresponsive victim finally expired beneath the weight of the officers that kept him pinned to the ground. Two separate autopsy reports have been released determining that Floyd’s death has been ruled a homicide, “and the 46-year-old’s heart stopped beating while police restrained him and compressed his neck,” according to USA Today.
The protests around the nation in response to Floyd’s death turned into a weeks’ worth of riots, looting and arson in many cities across the country. Yesterday, President Donald Trump stood in the Rose Garden outside of the White House where he read from a prepared statement saying “I am your law and order president and . . .”
“ … we are ending the riots and lawlessness that has spread throughout our country. We will end it now. Today, I have strongly recommended to every governor to deploy the National Guard in sufficient numbers that we dominate the streets. Mayors and governors, both established and overwhelming law enforcement presence until the violence has been quelled. If the city or state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residence, then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them.” ~ Donald T. Trump
During the president’s televised address, peaceful protests were taking place on the grounds of Lafayette Park near the White House and on the grounds of the nearby historic St. John’s Church which suffered a fire in its basement during the day before. Trump finished his address by saying, “ … now I am going to pay my respects to a very, very special place.”
You can read the President’s complete statement here.
But, just as Trump was nearing the end of his address, Military Police from the National Guard along with DC Metropolitan Police in full riot gear descended upon the peaceful protesters in both locations pushing them back and clearing those areas. At one point, a line of police officers mounted on horseback also descended upon the protesters.
According to the New York Times, police officers deployed tear gas, flash grenades and shot rubber bullets to clear out the crowds so Trump could visit the nearby historic St. John’s Church. The president, along with members of his White House staff and surrounded by Secret Service, walked from the White House to the church in what his detractors are describing as a photo-op.
“The president stood in front of the boarded-up church posing for photographs with a Bible, after the police dispersed peaceful protesters,” according to the Times.
The president’s church visit was criticized by Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, who said she was “outraged” that Mr. Trump went to the church “after he threatened to basically rain down military force.”
Additional religious leaders and lawmakers were also outraged at the president’s church visit photo-op and have claimed that his address to the nation and his church visit have backfired, especially considering the fact that his church visit followed the tear-gassing of peaceful protesters.
The Rev. James Martin, a prominent Jesuit priest and author, said in a statement, “Using the Bible as a prop while talking about sending in the military, bragging about how your country is the greatest in the world, and publicly mocking people on a daily basis, is pretty much the opposite of all Jesus stood for.”
He added: “Let me be clear. This is revolting. The Bible is not a prop. A church is not a photo op. Religion is not a political tool. And God is not a plaything.” ~ NBC News
Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington said the federal police officers’ clearing of peaceful protesters was “shameful” and had made the job of city police officers harder.
Libby Garvey, the chair of the Arlington County Board in Virginia, said the county had ordered its police force — which had been helping to patrol the protests in Washington — to return, saying their mutual aid agreement had been “abused.” ~ per The New York Times
NBC News shared that it was clear that the protesters outside the White House were dispersed so that the president could make that walk over to St. John’s church.
“What the hell did we just watch?!” tweeted Rep. Donna Shalala, D-Fla.
“Fascism in the flesh,” tweeted Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J.
For more on Trump’s church visit, see the video accompanying this article.
Also see: Iconic monuments defaced in Washington DC: Looters arrested and charged with felony rioting
Posted by: Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Follow Richard on Facebook and Twitter
