ACLU Sues Over Police Force Used Near White House June 5, 2020 Asst. Editor
‘They respected the rights of protesters but were also able to identify criminal activity that was happening…’
ACLU Sues over Police Force Used Near White House
Police begin to clear demonstrators near the White House. / PHOTO: Associated Press
(Associated Press) The American Civil Liberties Union sued the Trump administration Thursday, alleging officials violated the civil rights of protesters who were forcefully removed from a park near the White House by police using chemical agents before President Donald Trump walked to a nearby church to take a photo.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court on Washington, comes as Attorney General William Barr defended the decision to forcefully remove the peaceful protesters, saying it was necessary to protect officers and federal property.
The suit argues that Trump, Barr and other officials “unlawfully conspired to violate” the protesters’ rights when clearing Lafayette Park on Monday.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the group Black Lives Matter D.C. and individual protesters who were present.
Barr said he had met with other law enforcement officials earlier Monday and decided they needed to extend a security perimeter around the White House to protect federal agents “who could be reached by projectiles from the street.”
After the crowd was dispersed, Trump, followed by an entourage of his most senior aides — including Barr — along with Secret Service agents and reporters, walked over to St. John’s Church, the landmark pale-yellow building where every president, including Trump, has prayed, that had been damaged Sunday night in a protest fire.
“I don’t necessarily view that as a political act. I think it was entirely appropriate for him to do,” Barr said.
Hundreds of law enforcement officials have also been deployed to the streets of Washington.
Acting DEA Administrator Timothy Shea said they serve a vital purpose by helping to relieve the Metropolitan Police Department so it can handle other emergencies.
On Wednesday night, Shea visited a handful of checkpoints throughout downtown Washington.
“They’ve been verbally assaulted at times. Earlier in the week there were bricks thrown at their vehicles, and they responded with restraint and they respected the rights of protesters but were also able to identify criminal activity that was happening,” Shea said of his agents.
A senior Justice Department official said intelligence gathered by the FBI shows that antifa and other groups have been involved in some of the protests around the U.S. There have been “multiple instances” in which people who have been arrested have identified themselves to law enforcement as members of antifa, the official said.
Investigators also believe that groups have been training some demonstrators on techniques to rush officers on the lines of the protests and giving tips on how to avoid being arrested, the official said.