6/1/2020 Timeline: Trump ‘Photo Op’ Not Reason for Clearing BLM Rioters from Lafayette Park, Inspector Found

REMEMBERING JUNE 1, 2020: TRUMP’S WHITE HOUSE UNDER SIEGE On June 1, 2020, the Left created a false narrative to attack and weaken then-President Trump: “Trump’s Photo-Op at St. John’s Church” The leftist media and Democrats claimed that docile and peaceful BLM/Antifa protesters were tear gassed and removed from Lafayette Square (Washington, D.C.) so that Trump could get a photo opportunity. But the facts proved the leftists wrong. A 2021 Inspector General (IG) investigation found that on June 1, 2020, Black Lives Matter/Antifa protesters/rioters were dispersed from Lafayette Park near the White House to install an anti-scale fence and not because then-President Trump wanted take a photo in front of St. John’s Church, which was set on fire the night before by “peaceful protesters.” The IG also confirmed that it was Democrat D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser – not Trump – who teargassed the protesters. If you still think Black Lives Matter/Antifa were peaceful protesters, check these: – REMEMBER: White House Attacked by BLM/Antifa Rioters (May 29 – 30, 2020) – REMEMBER: White House & DC Attack by BLM/Antifa (May 31, 2020) BELOW: Background, link to the IG report and timeline of the events of June 1, 2020.

BACKGROUND The Daily Caller: Legacy Media Suffers A Hit As Yet Another Trump Conspiracy Theory Evaporates | Archive (Report date: June 9, 2021) [During the Black Lives Matter riots in May/June 2020, legacy] media pushed a story claiming that police cleared peaceful protesters from the area near Lafayette Park in Washington, D.C., during a demonstration in order to let then-President Donald Trump pose for a photo-op [in front of St. John’s Church]. That story has been definitively proven false. (…) However, a [June 2021] report from Interior Department inspector general Mark Greenblatt determined that the Park Police had planned to clear the area before anyone knew Trump’s plans to walk over and that Trump’s presence had nothing to do with the Park Police’s decision to clear the area. Police had planned to clear the area in advance in order to install extra fencing after the riots that took place May 30 and 31, according to the report. Tear gas was used by Washington, D.C., police, but reportedly not by Park Police. The Federalist: New Reports Reveal DC Mayor, Not Trump, Teargassed Protesters (Report date on June 24, 2021) Amazingly, new reportsconfirm it was Bowser — not Trump — who teargassed the protesters a few blocks away from the White House on the evening in question, that the protests had repeatedly devolved into violence and arson, and that the clearing was done for major security concerns and not a photo opportunity. For more than a year, Bowser allowed Trump to take the blame for what her police forces had done. [Archived link here] (…) “We determined, and the [Metropolitan Police Department] confirmed, that the MPD used CS gas on 17th Street on June 1. As discussed above, the MPD was not a part of nor under the control or direction of the USPP’s and the Secret Service’s unified command structure,” the Inspector General said in the report in the section headlined, “The USPP Did Not Use CS Gas on June 1, 2020, But The MPD Did.” [Archived link here.] READ THE IG REPORT Report from the Inspector General – U.S. Department of the Interior Title: Review of U.S. Park Police Actions at Lafayette Park (Archive) Date: June 2021 Legend: – USPP = U.S. Park Police – MPD = Metropolitan Police Department

TIMELINE OF EVENTS HIGHLIGHTS Source: IG report: Timeline on Appendix 1 on page 32 and notes throughout the report. May 29, 2020 Protests begin in Washington, DC, in and around Lafayette Park May 30, 2020 USPP and Secret Service begin discussions to procure an antiscale fence to establish a more secure perimeter; Secret Service contacts fencing contractor requesting information on available fencing Protesters throw objects at officers and breach bike-rack fencing; at least 20 USPP officers sustain injuries May 31, 2020 Protests occur throughout the day and evening; DC Mayor announces an 11 p.m. curfew, but protests continue after that time; 16 USPP officers are injured; fires are set to the park’s comfort station and the basement of St. John’s Church [More details from page 7: “[The fence] contractor told the Secret Service that it could install the fencing that same day and requested that its employees have a safe environment in which to work. The contractor requested that because of the current environment at the park, installation of the fence occur before nightfall and that its crews be protected by a police presence.” June 1, 2020 10 a.m. USPP command staff holds a briefing and notifies officers of possible fence installation later in the day 11:50 a.m USPP incident commander briefs MPD and Secret Service on plan to secure H Street and surrounding areas so contractor can install antiscale fence 12 p.m. Secret Service issues fencing contractor order to proceed with fence installation 2 p.m. Fencing contractor project manager arrives at Lafayette Park [More details on page 9: “[T]he USPP operations commander told us the USPP’s plan to clear Lafayette Park was underway before the 2 p.m. meeting. He stated that the Attorney General [Bill Barr] did not address him during this meeting and that the Attorney General did not mention a potential presidential visit to the park.”] 3 – 5 p.m. USPP incident commander learns of possible presidential visit to Lafayette Park [Details from page 10: “Both the USPP acting chief of police and the USPP incident commander stated they were not told a specific time for the President’s potential arrival and that learning this information did not change their operational timeline. The USPP acting chief of police said, “I can tell you with 100 percent certainty that the Secret Service and the Park Police … timeline did not change the entire day.” [Details from page 10: After 4 p..m.: “[P]rotesters breached the bike-rack fence line and entered the secured area, climbed on top of the burned-out comfort station, and threw projectiles like rocks, water bottles, and eggs at law enforcement officers (see Figures 6 and 7).” 4 – 4:30 p.m. Fencing contractor’s employees arrive at Lafayette Park; first of three semitrucks with fencing material arrives inside the White House complex 5:30 p.m. Second and third semitrucks with fencing material arrive on 17th Street; 6:10 p.m. Attorney General visits Lafayette Park [Details on page 14: “The USPP operations commander told us he had not known until then that the President would be coming out of the White House and into Lafayette Park. He said he replied to the Attorney General, “Are you freaking kidding me?” and then hung his head and walked away. (…) The USPP operations commander denied that the Attorney General ordered him to clear Lafayette Park and H Street.”] 6:16 p.m. Secret Service deploys onto H Street before dispersal warnings 6:23 p.m. USPP incident commander starts first dispersal warning 6:26 p.m. USPP incident commander starts second dispersal warning 6:28 p.m. USPP incident commander starts third dispersal warning 6:30 p.m. USPP and its law enforcement partners begin clearing Lafayette Park 6:43 p.m. President Trump begins speech in Rose Garden 6:50 p.m. Lafayette Park, H Street, and surrounding areas have been cleared 6:55 p.m. Second and third semitrucks with fencing material enter the White House complex 7 p.m. Citywide curfew begins 7:01 p.m. President Trump departs the White House 7:09 p.m. President Trump visits St. John’s Church [Details from page 20: “The USPP operations commander, the USPP incident commander, and the USPP acting chief of police told us they did not know the President planned to make a speech in the Rose Garden that evening. The USPP incident commander told us he was never informed of the President’s specific plans or when the President planned to come out of the White House. He said, “It was just a, ‘Hey, here he comes.’ And all of a sudden I turn around and there’s the entourage.” The USPP acting chief of police also told us he did not know about the President’s plans to visit St. John’s Church and that the USPP incident commander told him the President might come to the park to assess the damage at an unspecified time. The USPP acting chief of police and the USPP incident commander told us this information had no impact on their operational plan, and both denied that the President’s potential visit to the park influenced the USPP’s decision to clear Lafayette Park and the surrounding areas. Numerous other USPP captains and lieutenants and the ACPD civil disturbance unit commanders also told us they received no information suggesting that the USPP cleared the area to facilitate the President’s visit to St. John’s Church. The DCNG major we interviewed told us that his USPP liaison appeared as surprised as he was when the President visited Lafayette Park, stating, “We [were] both kind of equally shocked.” ” 7:18 p.m. President Trump arrives back at the White House 7:30 p.m. Contractors begin installing antiscale fence June 2, 2020 12:30 a.m. Contractors complete installation of antiscale fence [Details from page 22: “The USPP reported that installation of the antiscale fence significantly reduced violence and injuries to officers. The USPP incident commander said that “the goal of the de-escalation was met” because “injuries reduced to almost nothing” after the fence was installed. The antiscale fence also protected park property from further damage while still allowing protests to continue on H Street in front of Lafayette Park. ”

The Department of the Interior released statement on June 13, 2020 describing what happened on June 1, 2020: [Emphasis added] Following the violence that continued on May 30th where officers were hit with bricks and assaulted, the USSS and USPP had initial discussions regarding adjustments to the collective posture in Lafayette Park and potentially obtaining fencing. As violence and destruction continued in Washington, DC, putting both the public and law enforcement at risk, on Sunday, May 31, USSS confirmed with USPP that the anti-scale fencing would be procured and potentially delivered on Monday for installation along H Street. On Monday, June 1, USPP received confirmation from the USSS that the fencing would be delivered during the day with the expectation of being installed in the evening. (…) [A]t approximately 6:33 pm, violent protestors on H Street NW continued to throw projectiles including bricks, frozen water bottles and caustic liquids. The protestors also climbed onto a historic building at the north end of Lafayette Park that was destroyed by arson the previous day. Intelligence had revealed calls for violence against the police, and officers found caches of glass bottles, baseball bats and metal poles hidden along the street. To curtail the violence that was underway, the USPP, following standard operating procedures, issued three warnings over a loudspeaker to alert demonstrators on H Street to evacuate the area. Horse mounted patrol, Civil Disturbance Units and additional personnel were used to clear the area. As many of the protestors became more combative, continued to throw projectiles, grab officer’s protective equipment, and even attempted to grab one officers’ weapon, officers then employed the use of smoke canisters, stinger balls, and pepper balls. On June 1, USPP officers and other assisting law enforcement partners operating under the command of the USPP did not use tear gas or Skat Shells to close the area at Lafayette Park. Subsequently, the fence was installed. The Department of the Interior Released a Video Showing Protesters Launching Bricks, Glass At Police Outside White House The video also shows protesters attacking a Daily Caller reporter for filming. Video:

…This post will be updated…