Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) lost her patience with Attorney General William Barr during his hearing on Tuesday while discussing his alleged instruction of law enforcement to tear-gas protesters at Lafayette Square, across from the White House, on June 1 — noting it was an “unprovoked escalation.”
“Let us not be distracted by you or my GOP colleagues as to what these powerful and massive protests were actually about. They were about the persistent killing of Black bodies by law enforcement and finally, finally an awakening in America of the conscious of our country,” she said.
“And yet your response, Mr. Barr, was to direct federal officers to descend on the protesters and to use shields offensively as weapons, tear gas, pepper balls, irritants, batons, and horses to clear the area just so the president could get a photo op. So I do want to ask you, do you think that your response, do you think the response at Lafayette Square to tear gas, pepper spray and beat protesters and injure American citizens who were just simply exercising their First Amendment rights was appropriate?”
Barr argued that tear gas was not used, which Jayapal pointed out was a claim that was fact-checked by several reporters on the scene.
“Mr. Barr, I just asked for a yes or no. So let me just tell you — I’m starting to lose my temper,” Jayapal added. “According to sworn testimony before the House Natural Resources Committee by Army National Guard Officer Adam Demarco, who was there, this was, quote, ‘an unprovoked escalation.'”
Barr interjected and claimed Demarco was not involved in decision making, prompting Jayapal to get even angrier and remind the Attorney General that she still has the floor.
Jayapal reminded Barr of a phone call between President Donald Trump and state governors, during which he told the state officials to be “tougher” on protesters and to “dominate” them — adding, “these are terrorists.”
“And he also talked about you on that call, sir,” Jayapal added. “He said, the attorney general is here, Bill Barr, and we will activate Bill Barr and activate him strongly … Apparently the president believes you can be activated to implement the president’s agenda and dominate American people exercising first amendment rights if they’re protesting against him.”
Barr insisted Trump was talking about rioters during the call and not peaceful protesters — prompting Jayapal to ask why no action was taken against those protesting Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) amid the coronavirus lockdown.
Barr claimed he was not aware of the protests in Michigan or the threats to Whitmer’s life, which Jayapal questioned, considering he is the Attorney General.
“But in Michigan when protesters carried guns and confederate flags and swastikas and called for the governor of Michigan to be beheaded and shot and lynched, somehow you are not aware of that,” she said. “Somehow you didn’t know about it so you didn’t send federal agents in to do to the president’s supporters what you did to the president’s protesters.
“There is a real discrepancy in how you react as attorney general when white men with Swastikas storm a government building with guns. There is no need for the president so, quote, ‘activate you’ because they’re getting the president’s personal agenda done,” she added. “But when black people and people of color protest police brutality, systemic racism and the president’s very own lack of response to those critical issues, then you forcibly remove them with armed federal officers, pepper bombs because they are considered terrorists by the president.”
https://www.mediaite.com/tv/im-starting-to-lose-my-temper-rep-jayapal-goes-off-on-barr-over-tear-gassing-of-protesters-outside-white-house/
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