Trump takes hard line on U.S. monuments, threatens force against protesters

By Jeff Mason and Lisa Lambert

 

FILE PHOTO: Protestors attach a chain to the statue of U.S. President Andrew Jackson in the middle of Lafayette Park in front of the White House in an attempt to pull it down as someone throws a roll of toilet paper at the statue during racial inequality protests in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 22, 2020. REUTERS/Tom Brenner/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Tuesday pledged to take a hard line on anyone destroying or vandalizing U.S. historical monuments and threatened to use force on some protesters, as political activism against racial injustice sweeps the country and threatens his re-election chances.

 

"They're not taking down our monuments," Trump told reporters at the White House. "I will have an executive order very shortly and all it's going to really do is reinforce what's already there, but in a more uniform way."

 

Trump also on Tuesday announced via Twitter an authorization "effective immediately" to arrest anyone caught hurting a commemoration to an armed services member on federal land, even though the government already had that power under the 2003 Veterans Memorial Act.

 

Many statues and monuments targeted by crowds in recent weeks pay homage to the rebel Confederacy from the nation's Civil War and are seen as tributes to those who perpetuated slavery. The calls for their removal, along with massive Black Lives Matter protests earlier this month and local governments reforming police forces, were sparked by the May 25 death of George Floyd, a Black man killed in police custody.

 

Trump has been out of step with most of the country, blasting the protests even though a majority of Americans sympathize with them. At his Saturday rally in Oklahoma he said an "unhinged left-wing mob" wants to "desecrate" what he described as "beautiful monuments."

 

Mixed with his rocky response to the coronavirus that has killed more than 120,000 Americans, the disconnect has put Trump behind former Vice President Joe Biden, his presumptive challenger in the Nov. 3 election, in opinion polls.

 

Late on Monday protesters tried to topple a statue of former President Andrew Jackson facing the White House, scrawling "killer scum" on the base and pulling at ropes around the figure of Jackson on a horse. Police in riot gear drove the crowd back and formed a protective ring around the statue.

 

Trump told reporters "numerous people" were in jail for the attempt and the government is "looking at long-term sentences."

 

Jackson, a onetime Army general, enslaved Black people as a plantation owner and is remembered for the Trail of Tears, a forced removal of Native Americans from the South that killed thousands.

 

Trump also wrote on Twitter he was ready to use force on protesters. Earlier in the month he called in the National Guard and federal law enforcement to crack down on demonstrations near the White House, including using pepper spray and "flash bang" stun grenades to disperse peaceful protesters in front of St. John's Episcopal Church.

 

Protesters on Monday declared a "Black House Autonomous Zone" - referencing a Seattle area known as the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone - near the church, taking over Black Lives Matter Plaza. Police cleared the area on Tuesday and physically blocked access.

 

"There will never be an 'Autonomous Zone' in Washington, D.C., as long as I’m your President," Trump tweeted. "If they try they will be met with serious force!"

 

(Additional reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Andrew Heavens, Steve Orlofsky and Jonathan Oatis)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-06-24

 

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14 minutes ago, webfact said:

Trump takes hard line on U.S. monuments, threatens force against protesters

 

Calling/framing what these people are doing as 'protesting' is so far devoid of any logic that it would be almost amusing if the repercussions weren't so severe. 

 

The actions of these black-clad rioters is the polar opposite of 'protesting' and even the VERY FIRST AMENDMENT describes it:

 

Quote

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

 

These people have been toppling statues for weeks now and its high time they stopped. 

bring in the military and start using rubber bullets & tear gas,  start locking the protesters up.

nothing more than thug vandals who need to be arrested.

The BLM lunatics are eyeing up Jesus statues now, accusing him of being white.

Lol, they’re like something from a monty pythons sketch.

10 minutes ago, twocatsmac said:

The BLM lunatics are eyeing up Jesus statues now, accusing him of being white.

Lol, they’re like something from a monty pythons sketch.

It's even more absurd when you consider the guy this suggestion is coming from, Shaun King.

 

47 minutes ago, Mama Noodle said:

 

Calling/framing what these people are doing as 'protesting' is so far devoid of any logic that it would be almost amusing if the repercussions weren't so severe. 

 

The actions of these black-clad rioters is the polar opposite of 'protesting' and even the VERY FIRST AMENDMENT describes it:

 

 

These people have been toppling statues for weeks now and its high time they stopped. 

you should read some history, nothing changed without protest, and I don't mean the walking around asking for permission kind of protest. You should also read MLK's Letter From Birmingham Jail, he was very clear what he thought about people who are more concerned with 'order' than justice

1 minute ago, PremiumLane said:

you should read some history, nothing changed without protest, and I don't mean the walking around asking for permission kind of protest.

 

Then thats not protest, thats you re-naming riots to a more pleasant and easily digestible term. 

 

You just can't go and destroy stuff that isnt yours, any way you cut it. 

15 minutes ago, PremiumLane said:

you should read some history, nothing changed without protest, and I don't mean the walking around asking for permission kind of protest. You should also read MLK's Letter From Birmingham Jail, he was very clear what he thought about people who are more concerned with 'order' than justice

please don't insult everyone's intelligence and stop making excuses for these vandals and thugs.

56 minutes ago, steven100 said:

please don't insult everyone's intelligence and stop making excuses for these vandals and thugs.

 

 You mean like the ones that dumped a bunch of tea into Boston Harbor?

 

Glorifying traitors and an ethnic cleansing general in form of statues. Uniquely USA. 

8 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Glorifying traitors and an ethnic cleansing general in form of statues. Uniquely USA. 

 

As opposed to putting brutal dictators, responsible for the slaughter of 100's of millions on your currency?

 

Edited June 24, 20206 yr by impulse

4 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

As oppose to putting brutal dictators, responsible for the slaughter of 100's of millions on your currency?

 

They love him and his statues. Not much love for confederate statues. 

50 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Glorifying traitors and an ethnic cleansing general in form of statues. Uniquely USA. 

 

38 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

They love him and his statues. Not much love for confederate statues. 

Andrew Jackson was the founder of the Democratic Party. 

12 minutes ago, Mama Noodle said:

 

Andrew Jackson was the founder of the Democratic Party. 

Admire by Trump too. Hung his portrait of Old Hickory in the WH. Perhaps Trump see the Trial of Tears to his liking and has affiliation to the method. 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Jackson, a onetime Army general, enslaved Black people as a plantation owner and is remembered for the Trail of Tears, a forced removal of Native Americans from the South that killed thousands.

Then the phrase sprayed on his statue "killer scum" is appropriate.

 

https://www.vox.com/2016/4/20/11469514/andrew-jackson-indian-removal

 

 

Edited June 24, 20206 yr by Bluespunk

18 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

Then the phrase sprayed on his statue "killer scum" is appropriate.

 

https://www.vox.com/2016/4/20/11469514/andrew-jackson-indian-removal

 

 

Not really , they died from disease

16 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

Not really , they died from disease

My oh my, the but but but deflection tactics and refusal to recognise the guilt of their idols on the right never fails to make me sigh. 

 

I would ask if you opened the link but that is another thing you have stated you won't do...

Edited June 24, 20206 yr by Bluespunk

2 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

My oh my, the but but but deflection tactics and refusal to recognise the guilt of their idols on the right never fails to make me sigh. 

 

I would ask if you opened the link but that is another thing you have stated you won't do...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trail_of_Tears

Obviously all the glorifying the confederacy stuff should go. 

 

Other ones like Jackson should be considered. 

 

However tearing them down illegally is not OK. 

 

In fact such actions will help 45's reelection chances which nobody in their right mind would want. 

 

Perhaps President Biden can appoint a statues czar to develop a process to systemically and legally remove all monuments of hate. 

 

Paired with that it would make sense to transfer some of them to a new museum where the history of those hate symbols can be put in context. 

 

Also I assume at least some of them have some artistic value and it would be a shame to destroy those.

 

There is precedent for that kind of thing. I recall visiting a beautiful park in Budapest where many ex Soviet propaganda statues were gathered to display the dark past, not glorify it. 

 

Edited June 24, 20206 yr by Jingthing

5 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trail_of_Tears

 

7 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trail_of_Tears

From your link, see some of us can open these, notice the word 'forced' appears a lot.

 

The Trail of Tears was a series of forced relocations of approximately 60,000 Native Americans in the United States from their ancestral homelands in the Southeastern United States, to areas to the west of the Mississippi River that had been designated as Indian Territory. The forced relocations were carried out by government authorities following the passage of the Indian Removal Act in 1830.

 

Now, why not open the link I posted and read up on jackson's role in this crime against humanity, one that if it happened today would be classed as ethnic cleansing.

Will trump "come down hard" on Ted Nugent?

 

Ted Nugent On Obama Statue: 'Can We Tear This Sh** Down?'

As confederate statues and other controversial monuments are targeted by activists -- Nugent has a different idea

 

https://wwjnewsradio.radio.com/articles/news/ted-nugent-on-obama-statue-can-we-tear-this-sh-down

4 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

 

From your link, see some of us can open these, notice the word 'forced' appears a lot.

 

The Trail of Tears was a series of forced relocations of approximately 60,000 Native Americans in the United States from their ancestral homelands in the Southeastern United States, to areas to the west of the Mississippi River that had been designated as Indian Territory. The forced relocations were carried out by government authorities following the passage of the Indian Removal Act in 1830.

 

Now, why not open the link I posted and read up on jackson's role in this crime against humanity, one that if it happened today would be classed as ethnic cleansing.

Does your link show that he killed people and therefore is a "killer" , "forcing" people to move doesnt make them killers

1 minute ago, CorpusChristie said:

Does your link show that he killed people and therefore is a "killer" , "forcing" people to move doesnt make them killers

Read it and learn about how he was responsible for the tragedy that is the Trail of Tears. 

Edited June 24, 20206 yr by Bluespunk

7 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

Read it and learn about how he was responsible for the tragedy that is the Trail of Tears. 

that's past ... move on.  Nothing is gained by getting bogged down or emotional about the history.

It happened and that's it. You cannot turn the clock back so move onto greener pastures.

Put these BLM vandals in jail, and lets start getting economies going again.

3 minutes ago, steven100 said:

that's past ... move on.  Nothing is gained by getting bogged down or emotional about the history.

It happened and that's it. You cannot turn the clock back so move onto greener pastures.

Put these BLM vandals in jail, and lets start getting economies going again.

Disagree with every sentiment you express in that post. 
 

Take Them All Down. 

Edited June 24, 20206 yr by Bluespunk

7 minutes ago, steven100 said:

that's past ... move on.  Nothing is gained by getting bogged down or emotional about the history.

It happened and that's it. You cannot turn the clock back so move onto greener pastures.

Put these BLM vandals in jail, and lets start getting economies going again.

Have you heard of the phrase “those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it”. The statues are a reminder of the past and a powerful symbols of tragic and brutal events. It should not be around as symbols that give psychological sustenance and succor to white supremacists. It help normalized the ideology of these groups. 

An off topic post using derogatory ethnic slur comment toward Japanese people has been removed.

 

Some other off topic posts and replies have been removed. 

Monument removal, digital book-burning. censorship, and outright destroying livelihoods. All happening. All communist ideals.

7 minutes ago, DoctorG said:

Monument removal, digital book-burning. censorship, and outright destroying livelihoods. All happening. All communist ideals.

Really! Reveal your lack of knowledge. Sun Yat Sun, father of republicanism in China and first president of the Republic of China has statues and even a memorial hall and much respected by China. 

5 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Really! Reveal your lack of knowledge. Sun Yat Sun, father of republicanism in China and first president of the Republic of China has statues and even a memorial hall and much respected by China. 

Your post makes no sense.