The Republican camp has been demanding for several days that the president address the nation, after a week of demonstrations and riots against police violence and racism in the United States. On Monday June 1, Donald Trump executed himself. And it's a very firm speech he delivered from the White House.

Calling "acts of terror" the attacks on the police during the sling demanding justice for George Floyd, an African-American who was asphyxiated last Monday under the knee of a Minneapolis policeman, the head of state threatened to deploy the army to "dominate" the streets.

"Mayors and governors must establish a massive presence of law enforcement until the violence is contained," he said. "If a city or state refuses to take the steps that are necessary to defend the lives and property of their residents, then I will send the US military and quickly solve the problem for them," said Donald Trump.

"Communication operation"

Taking everyone by surprise, the president then went, on foot, to a church located just opposite the White House. A symbolic choice, since the day before, the "Saint John's Church", sometimes nicknamed "the church of the presidents", had been targeted Sunday evening by a fire, finally without significant damage. On Monday, in a gesture of opening, the members of the parish distributed "free water and prayers" to the demonstrators.

Minutes before the start of the 7 p.m. curfew in Washington, and while Donald Trump continued his televised speech, the hitherto peaceful protesters who were on the scene were evacuated with tear gas and rubber bullets. Objective: free the passage to Donald Trump and his team. Under the photographers' flashes, a Bible in hand, the president then said a few words. "We have a big country," he said in particular.

The move has revolted many Democratic commentators in Washington. They denounced a "communication operation" which not only endangers immediate public security but also adds fuel to the fire, when tension is already at its maximum across the country.

Dozens of cities have implemented curfews, unheard of since the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. The National Guard has been deployed in 23 states and in Washington.

With Reuters

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