National Guard major tells lawmakers he saw 'excessive' force used on protesters near the White House

https://news.yahoo.com/national-guard-officer-saw-excessive-140121120.html

Nicholas Wu, USA TODAY
,USA TODAY•July 28, 2020


A major in the District of Columbia National Guard told lawmakers he saw "excessive" force used in June when law enforcement cleared protesters gathered near the White House ahead of President Trump's controversial photo opportunity at St. John's Church.

Maj. Adam DeMarco, who served as a liaison between the D.C. National Guard and the Park Police at Lafayette Square, told lawmakers the disproportionate use of force he witnessed against largely peaceful protesters was "deeply disturbing" to him and other Guardsman.

The National Guard was not actively involved in the clearing of protesters on June 1 but was at the scene to "reinforce and relieve" the Park Police if needed, according to DeMarco's written testimony.

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"From my observation, those demonstrators – our fellow American citizens – were engaged in the peaceful expression of their First Amendment rights. Yet they were subjected to an unprovoked escalation and excessive use of force," DeMarco said.

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., said what he heard from the Trump administration on its response to protests were "outright lies" and warned of "creeping authoritarianism" in its heavy-handed responses to protests.