U.S. Park Police forces back protesters using batons and pepper spray after some attempted to pull down the statue of Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square near the White House on June 22, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
Secret Service Forces Press to Leave the White House as Police Use Pepper Spray and Batons to Beat Back Protesters
"The move to force members of the media off White House grounds is highly unusual," CNN reported after two of its journalists were removed.
Without initially offering an explanation, the Secret Service late Monday ordered members of the press to leave the White House grounds as law enforcement officials in riot gear used pepper spray and batons to beat back a nearby protest at which some attempted to topple a statue of former President Andrew Jackson.
A spokesperson for the Secret Service said in a statement hours later that "four members of the media were misdirected by the Secret Service to leave the White House grounds."
"The members of the press were rerouted to exits on the south side of the complex for their own safety" as demonstrations raged in Lafayette Park, the agency spokesperson said.
CNN reported late Monday that "journalists, including two CNN employees, were told they had to leave the White House grounds immediately via the south side of the complex, which is not the normal entrance/exit for the press."
"The move to force members of the media off White House grounds is highly unusual," the outlet reported. "Typically in security situations at the White House, the press corps is locked down inside the complex."
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered near the White House Monday as part of ongoing demonstrations sparked by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month.
Videos posted to social media show protesters using ropes in an attempt to pull down a statue of Jackson--the slave-owning former president responsible for the Trail of Tears--before police cleared the area using chemical irritants and batons.
President Donald Trump, a self-proclaimed "fan" of Jackson, tweeted late Monday that "numerous people" were "arrested in D.C. for the disgraceful vandalism, in Lafayette Park, of the magnificent Statue of Andrew Jackson."
Trump went on to threaten protesters with a decade in prison "under the Veteran's Memorial Preservation Act."
"Beware!" the president added.
The Washington Post reported that "it was not immediately clear if anyone had been arrested."
"In a chaotic scene, a helicopter flew low over the park as 150 to 200 U.S. Park and D.C. police moved through," according to the Post. "Officers used a chemical irritant to disperse protesters and sweep them back to H Street NW. Protesters did smash the wooden wheels of four replica cannons at the base of the Jackson statue."
Urgent. It's never been this bad.
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission from the outset was simple. To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It’s never been this bad out there. And it’s never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed and doing some of its best and most important work, the threats we face are intensifying. Right now, with just three days to go in our Spring Campaign, we're falling short of our make-or-break goal. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Can you make a gift right now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? There is no backup plan or rainy day fund. There is only you. —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Without initially offering an explanation, the Secret Service late Monday ordered members of the press to leave the White House grounds as law enforcement officials in riot gear used pepper spray and batons to beat back a nearby protest at which some attempted to topple a statue of former President Andrew Jackson.
A spokesperson for the Secret Service said in a statement hours later that "four members of the media were misdirected by the Secret Service to leave the White House grounds."
"The members of the press were rerouted to exits on the south side of the complex for their own safety" as demonstrations raged in Lafayette Park, the agency spokesperson said.
CNN reported late Monday that "journalists, including two CNN employees, were told they had to leave the White House grounds immediately via the south side of the complex, which is not the normal entrance/exit for the press."
"The move to force members of the media off White House grounds is highly unusual," the outlet reported. "Typically in security situations at the White House, the press corps is locked down inside the complex."
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered near the White House Monday as part of ongoing demonstrations sparked by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month.
Videos posted to social media show protesters using ropes in an attempt to pull down a statue of Jackson--the slave-owning former president responsible for the Trail of Tears--before police cleared the area using chemical irritants and batons.
President Donald Trump, a self-proclaimed "fan" of Jackson, tweeted late Monday that "numerous people" were "arrested in D.C. for the disgraceful vandalism, in Lafayette Park, of the magnificent Statue of Andrew Jackson."
Trump went on to threaten protesters with a decade in prison "under the Veteran's Memorial Preservation Act."
"Beware!" the president added.
The Washington Post reported that "it was not immediately clear if anyone had been arrested."
"In a chaotic scene, a helicopter flew low over the park as 150 to 200 U.S. Park and D.C. police moved through," according to the Post. "Officers used a chemical irritant to disperse protesters and sweep them back to H Street NW. Protesters did smash the wooden wheels of four replica cannons at the base of the Jackson statue."
Without initially offering an explanation, the Secret Service late Monday ordered members of the press to leave the White House grounds as law enforcement officials in riot gear used pepper spray and batons to beat back a nearby protest at which some attempted to topple a statue of former President Andrew Jackson.
A spokesperson for the Secret Service said in a statement hours later that "four members of the media were misdirected by the Secret Service to leave the White House grounds."
"The members of the press were rerouted to exits on the south side of the complex for their own safety" as demonstrations raged in Lafayette Park, the agency spokesperson said.
CNN reported late Monday that "journalists, including two CNN employees, were told they had to leave the White House grounds immediately via the south side of the complex, which is not the normal entrance/exit for the press."
"The move to force members of the media off White House grounds is highly unusual," the outlet reported. "Typically in security situations at the White House, the press corps is locked down inside the complex."
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered near the White House Monday as part of ongoing demonstrations sparked by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month.
Videos posted to social media show protesters using ropes in an attempt to pull down a statue of Jackson--the slave-owning former president responsible for the Trail of Tears--before police cleared the area using chemical irritants and batons.
President Donald Trump, a self-proclaimed "fan" of Jackson, tweeted late Monday that "numerous people" were "arrested in D.C. for the disgraceful vandalism, in Lafayette Park, of the magnificent Statue of Andrew Jackson."
Trump went on to threaten protesters with a decade in prison "under the Veteran's Memorial Preservation Act."
"Beware!" the president added.
The Washington Post reported that "it was not immediately clear if anyone had been arrested."
"In a chaotic scene, a helicopter flew low over the park as 150 to 200 U.S. Park and D.C. police moved through," according to the Post. "Officers used a chemical irritant to disperse protesters and sweep them back to H Street NW. Protesters did smash the wooden wheels of four replica cannons at the base of the Jackson statue."