Government officials should investigate the treatment of protesters who gathered near the White House on Monday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said Tuesday.
“Secretary [of Defense Mark] Esper, General [Mark] Milley should not allow the U.S. military to come within a country mile of these ugly stunts,” he stated in remarks given from the Senate floor, according to the Hill.
“The administration is using the military as a tool to intimidate American citizens and the Department of Defense IG must immediately launch an investigation into how the U.S military was used and whether it was consistent with the laws of our nation,” he continued.
Schumer also claimed President Trump had been a “failure at handling” the events following George Floyd’s death, who died while in police custody on May 25 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
“There’s no one home at the White House and the lights are off. I fear for the future of our country, that in this time of immense difficulty, our president is only capable of contributing more division, more fear, more chaos,” he commented.
Monday, law enforcement officers used tear gas and smoke bombs to disperse a crowd of protesters outside the White House to clear the way for the president to walk to St. John’s Church, which had been set ablaze by vandals on Sunday night.
Monday evening, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said the incident appeared to be a “grossly unjustified use of a chemical weapon on protesters and raises serious human rights concerns under international law,” Breitbart News reported.
However, prior to the event, President Trump vowed to act swiftly to end the widespread violence and riots in America’s major cities following Floyd’s death, according to Breitbart News.
“A line of National Guard troops pressed protesters out of the park near the White House as Trump spoke, flash-bang grenades were deployed, and canisters of tear gas and pepper gas were launched,” the report noted.
Tuesday, the president praised law enforcement officers on Twitter for dispersing the crowds and restoring peace to the area.
“D.C. had no problems last night. Many arrests. Great job done by all. Overwhelming force. Domination. Likewise, Minneapolis was great (thank you President Trump!),” he concluded.
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