WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee overseeing the Department of the Interior, wrote to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt seeking information on the recent involvement of the Interior Department, including the U.S. Park Police, in forcibly dispersing crowds in Washington, D.C, that were protesting the police killing of George Floyd and the continued presence of systemic racism in the United States.
On June 1, federal law enforcement, including the Park Police, took forcible measures to clear protestors from an area north of Lafayette Square, part of the President’s Park near the White House, several minutes before a city-wide curfew was scheduled to take effect. According to public news reports, these actions were seemingly taken to facilitate a photo opportunity for President Trump at nearby St. John’s Church.
“I recognize that the Department must take necessary steps to ensure public safety and to protect property under its care, particularly the precious and historic monuments and grounds of the National Mall, White House and Lafayette Square. But the suppression of a peaceful demonstration and the decision to aggressively deploy a law enforcement presence on Park Service property in Washington, D.C.—including the indelible image of militarized law enforcement personnel on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial—undermine the values that these monuments are there to celebrate, including the freedoms of speech and peaceable assembly,” Udall wrote. “Moreover, reports that Attorney General William Barr personally directed the dispersal action raise important questions about how this particular incident unfolded as well as how Federal law enforcement resources are being deployed and coordinated more generally.
“In addition to serving as powerful symbols of freedom and equality, the National Mall and surrounding areas have a long and important history as a place for Americans to exercise their most cherished constitutionally protected freedoms,” Udall continued. “The National Park Service serves as the steward of these national treasures, and many others, including those of particular significance to African-Americans and their struggle for equality and justice in this country. Thus, it is imperative that the Department has the policies and resources in place to protect these freedoms and equality under the law at the same time that it is ensuring the security of the public and our irreplaceable national park system properties.”
The full text of the letter — including Udall’s 12 detailed questions for Bernhardt — is available here.
