Donald Trump Warns Of ‘Serious Force’ If Protesters Attempt To Create DC Autonomous Zone
President Donald Trump came out firmly against a District of Columbia autonomous zone on Tuesday, warning protesters that they would be swiftly dealt with if they attempted to set up in the capital city.
“There will never be an ‘Autonomous Zone’ in Washington, D.C., as long as I’m your President,” Trump tweeted on Tuesday morning.
“If they try they will be met with serious force!”
His comments on the potential autonomous zone were sandwiched between tweets about the coronavirus epidemic and the United States’ ongoing response.
Trump is facing the possibility of another scene like that in Seattle in his own front yard after protesters in front of the White House threatened to set up another autonomous zone by taking control of part of D.C.
The demonstrators worked hard on Monday to pull down a statue of President Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square, which is just across the street from the White House, but they were unable to remove the landmark, according to The Hill.
Law enforcement stepped in when protesters accosted the statue, using physical force and pepper spray to disperse those attempting to remove the monument.
Demonstrators’ movements toward a Seattle-type protest were only further enforced by the letters “BHAZ” being spray-painted on the columns of a nearby church — this is reportedly an acronym for “Black House Autonomous Zone.”
Protesters in the Seattle autonomous zone — referred to as “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone” (CHAZ) or “Capitol Hill Organized Protest” (CHOP) — came under intense scrutiny when they declared the area to be a police-free zone and attempted to initiate progressive projects, such as monetary reparations, among the protesters who were gathered there.
Trump has been critical of both Seattle’s mayor and Washington’s governor for allowing the protests to continue. The president encouraged the state’s governor to use military force if need be to take back the area that was being occupied by protesters.
Trump posted an online diatribe against the protesters, using their destruction of some areas in major cities to point to the supposed lack of leadership among Democrats.
City of Seattle has provided "upgrades" to CHAZ. Inside, they're giving out literature on how to make bombs. I went on Fox News to talk about the extremist ideology driving people across America to destroy property as a means to attack the nation itself. https://t.co/MKJzNP8Xes pic.twitter.com/XXHM8d4bpl
— Andy Ngô ???? (@MrAndyNgo) June 20, 2020
As CHOP has seen two shootings up to this point, there has been talk of how to disband the zone, thanks to the unruly turn that has been taken among some protesters.
Protesters took over the location in the midst of widespread demonstrations over the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man who died while in police custody.
Activist groups, spearheaded by Black Lives Matter and Antifa, have worked to make a statement, with their takeover including a stand against police brutality.
