WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th June, 2020) The Washington-based tv station WUSA9 said on Thursday it has discovered evidence that tear gas was used by law enforcement to disperse a protest rally taking place across from the White House three days ago.
Empty canisters found on the scene appear to contradict official claims that no such crowd control means were employed during a police operation to disperse the protest from Washington's Lafayette Square.
The station said its analysis shows that artificial CS tear gas, not just natural OC gas, was "indeed used by Federal law enforcement agents clearing out the protesters next to Lafayette Square."
US President Donald Trump denied the use of tear gas against protesters and similar claims were issued by the National Guard and the US Park Police with the latter saying its personnel employed smoke canisters and pepper balls instead.
On Monday evening, police officers dispersed protesters to secure a passage for Trump across Lafayette Square to St John's Episcopal Church that was set on fire by rioters the previous day.
Rallies in Washington have been part of the nationwide protest over the death of African American man George Floyd in police custody on May 25. A video of the arrest posted online shows a white police officer pressing on Floyd's neck for at least eight minutes while he was handcuffed and laying on his stomach and repeatedly saying he can not breathe.
However, the protests soon turned into riots complete with violence against police and civilians as well as acts of vandalism, arson and looting. After delivering a speech in which he proposed to use the National Guard and the US military to quell the riots, Trump went to visit the damaged St. John's Episcopal Church.
