Late in the day on June 1, demonstrators gathered near the White House, on the edge of Lafayette Square, to protest police abuse following the death in custody of Minneapolis resident George Floyd. Many were peaceful, but some included property destruction and clashes with police. Earlier in the day, President Trump berated local and state leaders as “weak” for not doing more to quell unrest, and in a call with governors he pledged decisive action. Their actions cleared the way for the president, surrounded by the nation’s top law enforcement and military leaders, to walk to the historic St. John’s Church for a three-minute photo op. Atthar Mirza, Nick Kirkpatrick, Alice Li contributed to this report.

Source: Washington Post June 08, 2020 20:37 UTC