ACLU Sues Trump Administration For ‘Ordering The Use Of Violence’ Before Church Visit

The American Civil Liberties Union, along with several protesters, have filed suit against the Trump administration for what they believed to be an unnecessary use of force to clear protesters ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit to St. John’s Episcopal Church.

CNN reported that the president’s security team is being accused of overly aggressive use of force clearing what they identified as peaceful protesters outside of the White House just days ago.

The suit names President Donald Trump, Attorney General William Barr, and other officials saying that the administration had “no legitimate basis to destroy the peaceable gathering” of people protesting the death of George Floyd, as they reportedly directed police to do.

“This case is about the President and Attorney General of the United States ordering the use of violence against peaceful demonstrators,” the suit reads, in part.

The incident in question came the night after rioters pushed their way past the first layer of barricades and caused the White House to go into lockdown, forcing the president into a bunker as rioters chanted, set fire to trees and even attacked journalists outside the iconic presidential residence, even lighting the historic church across the street, St. John’s, on fire.

Trump’s move to the bunker was jeered on social media, causing the hashtag “bunkerboy” to make the rounds as the president’s critics called him out for his move to the secure location. The day following the volatile riots, Trump and multiple members of his administration and security members made their way on foot from the White House to St. John’s.

The rioters and looters just set the White House guard house on fire.

With this action, @realDonaldTrump has just secured himself another 4 years in office as @POTUS. pic.twitter.com/a8ISvtXK59

— Errol Webber (@ErrolWebber) June 1, 2020

Eyewitness accounts of the event claimed that Trump’s advance security team used tear gas on peaceful protesters in order to clear the path to the church. According to CNN, Barr defended the security team’s actions saying that they were “becoming increasingly unruly,” and that the security perimeter was moved outward one block, unrelated to the president’s decision to visit the church.

“There was no correlation between our tactical plan of moving the perimeter out by one block and the President’s going over to the church,” Barr said.

The Inquisitr previously reported that photographic evidence is believed to contradict both the president and attorney general who claimed no extraordinary measures were used on protesters in front of the executive mansion.

According to the plaintiff’s suit, the president incriminated himself when he suggested that law enforcement “dominate” protesters who resort to violence and looting.

“For Defendants to describe their actions as ‘domination’ is telling,” the suit details. “To dominate is to establish supremacy by subjugation of others. It is precisely such domination — in the form of centuries of white supremacy and subjugation of Black lives — that was the core focus of the peaceful demonstration in Lafayette Square.”