In addition to military units, the attorney general referred to a long list of forces that would probably make a return appearance Tuesday night. At least a dozen agencies in all have been thrust into the mix, with more to come.
, a historic worship center on the edge of Lafayette Square, just north of the White House. D.C., like dozens of other cities, has been the scene of violent protests after the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in the custody of Minneapolis police.
An officer who pinned Floyd's neck to the ground with his knee was charged with murder and manslaughter. Critics hammered Trump for using police, armed with tear gas and shields, to clear protesters from the Lafayette Square area to provide him cover for Monday night's brief event outside the church, where the president posed with a Bible. The actual order to clear the square and enlarge the security perimeter was delivered by Barr, setting the stage for an aggressive break-up of the protest, a senior Justice Department official said Tuesday. The source who is not authorized to comment publicly said the decision to expand the perimeter was made Monday morning after protests scorched the area, and before it was known that Trump would walk to the historic church Monday evening. The source said Barr was"surprised" that the security perimeter had not been expanded when he visited the area just before Trump's scheduled speech at the White House Monday evening. It was then, the source said, that Barr was informed of Trump's plan to visit the church, prompting the order for the area to be cleared of protesters. "Tear-gassing peaceful protesters without provocation just so that the president could pose for photos outside a church dishonors every value that faith teaches us," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a joint statement.“Last night was a more peaceful night in the District of Columbia," Barr said."Working together, federal and local law enforcement made significant progress in restoring order to the nation’s capital."
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