30August 2020
WASHINGTON, DC– Mayor Muriel Bowser blamed outside agitators for creating havoc and disrupting peaceful demonstrations over the weekend in the District of Columbia. She slammed President Donald Trump's Twitter attacks about the violence and stated outsiders will not be permitted to begin a race war.
“We will not endure violence of any kind in Washington, D.C.,” said Bowser, throughout a Monday public safety news briefing. “We do not tolerate it if it's on the streets between competing teams, and we won't tolerate it against our police officers, the guys and women who are charged with keeping our community safe. And we definitely will not endure it versus our locals and visitors.”
Bowser included that the collective attention of the District was on preventing violence of all kinds, all forms, and in all places.
“What we're certainly not going to do is stand by and enable outdoors agitators to come to our city to sidetrack us from our deal with D.C. citizens,” she stated. “Many of our residents are out there protesting themselves and doing so in harmony.”
However, Bowser stated that moving among those serene protesters over the weekend were individuals intent on wreaking havoc and violence against the police.
When asked whether she was concerned about tranquil protesters being hurt from the authorities response to the violence brought on by outdoors agitators, Bowser reacted: “What I'm worried about is this country descending into a race war, and I'm worried about the continued incitement of violence from management who ought to be concentrated on bringing our neighborhoods together.”
On Friday, thousands of demonstrators collected on the National Mall near the Lincoln Memorial for the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington and Martin Luther King's “I Have a Dream” speech. This year's event, titled The Commitment March: Get Your Knee Off Our Necks, focused on calls to end racial oppression and police violence versus individuals of color.
Metropolitan Police Chief Peter Newsham on Monday explained the march as one of the largest ever seen in the city.
“We invited 10s of countless demonstrators to our city, who quietly demonstrated throughout the day,” Newsham said. “I was out there the entire day and into the late night, and I have to tell you, that event was assisted in very in harmony and we had no arrests with the serene presentations that occurred on Friday.”
What District officials saw over the weekend, though, was really various. In contrast to the peaceful protesters Friday, Bowser stated, outside agitators appeared in the city, bringing weapons they would utilize to damage residential or commercial property in the city and interfere with the demonstrations.
“On Saturday and Sunday night … were agitators who descended on the city,” the mayor said. “It sounds like they came on Wednesday and Thursday armed for fight: fireworks, baseball bats, laser guidelines, and they were trying to find the authorities to challenge. They set fire to local newspaper boxes, achieving absolutely nothing.”
Bowser said District authorities did not know the identity of the outdoors agitators or who may money and arrange them, only that they had concerned the city to develop havoc.
“They are not the same as residents who proudly say, ‘Black Lives Matter,'” she stated. “What we require as a country, we understand, are systemic reforms. And what these agitators are doing is sidetracking from what our country needs.”
Over the weekend, Trump tweeted about Bowser, saying she needs to “detain these agitators and thugs!”
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@MayorBowser ought to jail these agitators and thugs!Clean up D.C. or the Federal Government will do it for you. Enough!!! @MayorBowser https://t.co/45RzrDqw1q!.?.!— Donald J. Trump(@realDonaldTrump)August 30, 2020″ We understand that the president considers himself'Mr. Law and Order.'I want to be extremely clear, he's coming for the incorrect group, due to the fact that we are for order, too,” Bowser stated.”We're for D.C. citizens living in harmony. We're for D.C. locals defending their neighbors and buddies and demanding social justice, but we are for peace.”The mayor went on to say the intent of Trump's tweets was to distract from his failures of the last 4 years. “We know that when a president attacks American cities, he's attacking America, “Bowser said.”And the job of the president is to unite us, not to divide us.”She got in touch with the federal government to help MPD the best way it could, by doing its task and assisting its
officers.”When we make arrests for violent protests, we need those violent agitators to be prosecuted,”Bowser stated.” When we detain people for felony charges, we need the U.S.
Attorney for the District of Columbia, who is a federal appointee of the president, to prosecute them. Today, there's no accountability for individuals who came to these protests and assaulted our police.” She added that there appeared to be no willingness by the U.S. attorney to prosecute them. As of Sunday, 68 felony warrants are awaiting processing at the U.S. Attorney's Office, consisting of 3 attacks on a police officer, according to details launched by MPD. 2 of
those charges were sent in June and one in July. Some of the warrants date back to November
2019. “MPD has its charge, as it constantly has, to keep D.C. safe, to support tranquil protests, and to hold those who would be violent accountable,” Bowser stated.”And we need the federal government to do its task and prosecute these people. “On Thursday night, the Republican National Convention finished up
with a ceremony on the White House premises and a fireworks show at the Washington Monument. A variety of people had concerned D.C. to oppose the convention, according to Newsham. About 200-300 protesters collected outside the White House about 8:30 p.m., and began throwing projectiles at authorities.”It escalated around 10 p.m., “Newsham stated.” A group of agitators in the area of 15th and Pennsylvania started releasing fireworks at law enforcement officer. There was some property destroyed, some small fires were embeded in trash cans and in the street.”MPD made 8 arrests over the evening, seven adult males and one adult female. Charges consisted of attack on a police officer, easy attack, and destruction of property, the chief said. 4 MPD officers were hurt, consisting of one damaged nose. 3 MPD cars were likewise damaged. Around 9 p.m., on Saturday, MPD saw people utilizing smoke gadgets, setting
off prohibited fireworks, setting fires, and spray painting graffiti throughout the Adams Morgan area, Newsham said. In addition, some used laser pointers to distract police. 2 MPD officers suffered eye injuries as an outcome. A group of people around 11 p.m. started tossing projectiles and incendiary gadgets near
the White House. Items tossed consisted of glass and bricks.” They likewise released some tear gas. This was not MPD, “Newsham said.”They shot fireworks at our officers, and some more small fires were embeded in the area.” In action, MPD deployed pepper spray and sting balls. 6 officers were hurt, and two lorries were damaged
. 5 arrests were made, with charges for felony rioting, belongings of unregistered ammo, and assault on a policeman. One arrest involved a charge of careless driving against the motorist of a van signed up in Washington state. “We have intelligence to suggest that van was likewise at a few of the violence we saw in Portland, Oregon
, and some of the violent activity that we saw in Kenosha [Wisconsin],”Newsham stated, adding that the motorist was in authorities custody.”One of the things that we're definitely going to do is– if there's a connection, if it is an organized, funded
effort to develop violence in our city– we're going to do whatever we potentially can to get to the bottom of it,”Newsham said.
Over Sunday night, a group of more than 100 people marched throughout the city. At 9 p.m., the group set 2 little fires near the White House, which were quickly snuffed out. As the group marched toward Thomas Circle around 10:15 p.m., a few of the agitators fired smoke bombs, fireworks, and other munitions toward police, Newsham said. They likewise defaced home with spray paint.” At 11:45 p.m., they became significantly aggressive, “Newsham said.”They were spitting, tossing balloons filled with urine at police officers. Bricks and bottles were also thrown at our officers, as well as fireworks.”One attempted to strike an MPD motor officer with a car, which was later on dropped in the Virginia State Police, who took the residents into custody. In overall, MPD apprehended 14 individuals Sunday night, charging them with felony rioting. Five officers were injured and 2 cars were harmed. More than 70 percent of individuals detained over the last 4 days were not from D.C., Newsham said.”They appeared to be folks who are coming to our peaceful city with the intent of ruining residential or commercial property and injuring folks,”Newsham stated.”As we constantly state whenever we have these events in
our city, we welcome peaceful demonstrations like we had on Friday. If you concern the city with the intent of damaging home or harming people, we have an obligation to take you into custody.”Also see … Thousands March On D.C. To Decry Police, Racial Violence Commitment March To Converge On DC National Mall Friday Source: patch.com
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