National Guard troops have been positioned on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., after several memorials were vandalized during demonstrations over the weekend.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) blasted the decision to disperse protesters in front of the White House on Monday. But he said it was a “more haunting image” to see the soldiers at the Lincoln Memorial.
“Last night, Americans saw an even more haunting image on the internet and their televisions: Rows of camouflaged troops, standing at attention on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial like an occupying force defending a critical position,” Schumer said during a speech on the Senate floor on Wednesday.
He continued:
“When you see the image of troops dressed for combat flanking the Lincoln Memorial — an altar to freedom — you cannot help but think of Tiananmen Square. This administration ordered federal officers to gas peaceful protesters and charge on horseback and defend our monuments like battlefield positions. What is President Trump doing to this grand democracy?”
Schumer’s comments referred to the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre when Chinese soldiers opened fire on pro-democracy protesters.
After almost a month of protest, the Chinese government deployed soldiers to try to shut down the demonstration. Early on the morning of June 4, Chinese soldiers used live rounds on the protesters.
Watch the video below:
Sen. Chuck Schumer says the images of "troops dressed for combat" at the Lincoln Memorial remind him of Tiananmen Square: "This administration ordered federal officers to gas peaceful protesters … What is President Trump doing to this grand democracy?” https://t.co/aL4BfEM05o pic.twitter.com/QBLJ7ebuph
— ABC News (@ABC) June 3, 2020
On Tuesday night, images surfaced on social media of National Guard troops standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial:
Your Lincoln Memorial this evening. pic.twitter.com/QByGgWeDDm
— Martha Raddatz (@MarthaRaddatz) June 3, 2020
https://twitter.com/newley/status/1268002620700057601
President Donald Trump has received criticism as National Guard troops have been deployed throughout Washington, D.C., to quell violent demonstrations.
Public officials have taken issue with the use of National Guard troops and federal law enforcement officers to disperse protesters in front of the White House ahead of a 7 p.m. curfew on Monday night.
On Monday, Trump delivered remarks in the Rose Garden where he called for governors and mayors to crack down on violent demonstrations. He also vowed to deploy the U.S. Military if local governments did not quell the violence, as IJR reported.
Following his remarks, Trump walked from the White House to the historic St. John’s Church — which was damaged during previous demonstrations — where he had had his picture taken holding a Bible.
Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) released a joint statement to condemn the decision to clear the protesters so that, as they said, Trump could have a photo-op.
“Tear-gassing peaceful protestors without provocation just so that the President could pose for photos outside a church dishonors every value that faith teaches us,” the Democratic leaders wrote in a joint-statement.
The U.S. Park Police released a statement that said officers did not use tear gas to disperse the protesters. However, reporters have disputed that claim and shared videos of some kind of gas being used to disperse the protesters.