Protests in the United States: Donald Trump opts for the strong way

Text by: RFI Follow

For his first public speech, live from the White House, Donald Trump made several martial announcements: deployment of thousands of soldiers in Washington, asks governors to "dominate the streets" of their states ... While the Official autopsy of the death of George Floyd, a week ago, confirms asphyxiation during his immobilization and that the demonstrations spread across the country, the American president takes another step towards the escalation.

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US President Donald Trump has promised Monday to end "  now  " the violent protests that have rocked major cities in the United States since the death last week of a 46-year-old African-American man, George Floyd. A death by asphyxiation and cardiac arrest during his arrest by the police of Minneapolis, Minnesota, confirmed the official autopsy , Monday, June 1.

First announcement, during this speech delivered live at 10:30 p.m. GMT from the White House gardens: Donald Trump described the outbursts of Sunday May 31 in Washington as "shame" and considers them as "  internal terrorism  ".

Second announcement, even more martial: the dispatch of the army to the streets of Washington. "  Thousands of heavily armed soldiers  ," even supported the President.

Donald Trump also addressed the governors asking them to "  dominate the streets  " of their states. "  If a city or a state refuses to take the necessary measures to defend the life and property of their inhabitants, then I will send the American army and quickly solve the problem for them,  " he threatened.

A message confirming the leaks that occurred a few hours earlier.

Significant leak. @CBSNews obtained the audio for a boosted call from #Trump to governors facing the riots. He calls them to 1 maximum repression, with arrests and digital tracking, and massive imprisonments. "You have to dominate them".
RT + https://t.co/qe9voaatE8

While the president was speaking, the police fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators near the presidential residence. Mostly pacifists during the day, the demonstrations rock into violence after dark, giving rise to looting and clashes between protesters and police.

Finally his speech finished, in an unprecedented theatrical act, Donald Trump left the White House to go on foot to the Saint John Church, an emblematic building nearby and which was degraded Sunday evening by a start of fire on the sidelines of a demonstration against racism. Arriving, Bible in hand, in front of this emblematic building nicknamed "  the church of the presidents  ", he declared: "  We have a big country.  "

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• United States
• Donald trump