US National Guard Official Says Removal Of White House Protesters Was 'Unprovoked'

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th July, 2020) An operation by US forces to remove protesters in front of the White House last month was an unprovoked escalation, District of Columbia National Guard Major Adam DeMarco said in testimony.

"From my observation, those demonstrators - our fellow American citizens - were engaged in the peaceful expression of their First Amendment rights. Yet they were subjected to an unprovoked escalation and excessive use of force," DeMarco wrote in his prepared remarks released on Monday.

He added that what he witnessed at Lafayette Square, the park across from the White House, was "deeply disturbing.

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DeMarco is scheduled to testify before the House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources on Tuesday.

On June 1, law enforcement officers aided by the District of Columbia National Guard cleared the area in front of the White House, including Lafayette Park, so President Donald Trump and a group of aids could walk to a nearby church that was set on fire by protesters the day before. Law enforcement was criticized for using force, including tear gas, to clear the protesters, but the White House spokesperson denied that tear gas was used.