Black Lives Matter is suing President Trump over the use of force against White House protestors.
This comes after the movement was reignited on May 25 by the death of George Floyd, sparking protests around the world - the majority of which have been peaceful.
Now, the Washington chapter of the Black Lives Matter movement has filed on June 4, accusing officers of violating the constitutional rights of peaceful protesters when they forced them out of a park so that the president could take a photograph at a nearby church.
Watch the mayhem that ensured when the peaceful protestors were forcibly removed:According to the lawsuit, the officers involved in the incident attacked the peaceful protestors without warning and cleared the crowds using incendiary devices including flashbangs, tear gas, smoke canisters, and pepper spray.
As BuzzFeed News reports, the complaint, which was filed in a federal court, reads: "This case is about the President and Attorney General of the United States ordering the use of violence against peaceful demonstrators who were speaking out against discriminatory police brutality targeted at Black people."
The crowds were dispersed on June 1 as President Trump made a speech to reporters at the White House’s Rose Garden. In the background, law enforcement can be heard in the background forcibly removing them.
According to the lawsuit, US Park Police and other officers from the US Secret Service, the DC National Guard, the Arlington County police, and the US Army military police deployed "smoke canisters and pepper balls" to disperse the protestors in Lafayette Square.
According to the lawsuit, the incident took place prior to Washington's 7 pm curfew.
Despite the fact that the media present at the time say that the protestors were peaceful, the US Park Police have claimed that protestors were throwing bricks, water bottles, and "caustic liquids".
BuzzFeed News reports that the incident is being investigated by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
Additionally, Minnesota’s ACLU has already filed a lawsuit against Minneapolis police, accusing them of violating the rights of journalists who are covering the situation.
The protests over the past week have led to the arrest of over 11,000 people in the US alone.
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