IG Report Says Clearing Of Protesters From Lafayette Park Wasn't For A Presidient Trump Photo Op In Front Of St. John's Church

 

CBS: Watchdog finds clearing of protesters from Lafayette Park wasn't for Trump photo op 

Washington — The Interior Department's inspector general said in a report released Wednesday that evidence it obtained "did not support a finding" that federal authorities forcibly cleared protesters from Lafayette Park last year so then-President Trump could walk from the White House and pose for a photo outside the historic St. John's Church. 

The watchdog, which examined the incident that occurred June 1, 2020, during protests against racial injustice and police brutality in Washington, D.C., instead found the U.S. Park Police had the authority to clear the park and surrounding areas, and did so to allow a contractor to install anti-scale fencing after several nights of violent clashes. 

U.S. Park Police also did not know that Mr. Trump would potentially be leaving the White House and crossing Lafayette Park until "mid-to late afternoon" on June 1, hours after the contractor had arrived to begin installation, according to the report.  

Read more .... 

Update #1: Police did not clear D.C.'s Lafayette Square of protesters so Trump could hold a photo op, new report says (NBC)  

Update #2: Police did not clear Lafayette Square so Trump could hold 'Bible' photo op: Watchdog (ABC News)  

WNU Editor: There was wide-spread rioting and destruction days before these "protesters" were forced out from Lafayette Park. Destruction that included fire-bombing the historic St. John's Church. As I had commented at the time. I was surprised that it took authorities that long to clear the park. 

As to the reaction of this IG report. President Trump is claiming (justifiably) exoneration .... Trump claims exoneration in Lafayette Square clearing out (The Hill). His opponents are not (see Glenn Greenwald tweets below).

This is why liberals refuse to believe it didn't happen. Their political leaders and favorite media corporations told them it did. That the IG compiled a huge mountain of documentary proof showing it didn't happen won't matter to them at all: https://t.co/lt5suYtlUk

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 9, 2021

More below:

There's a good reason Joe Scarborough is the anchor of the liberal-left's favorite cable outlet. Shown a *mountain of conclusive, documentary proof* that the Park Police's use of tear gas had nothing to do with Trump - was planned well before - he still insists it happened: https://t.co/hKzPszKLom

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 10, 2021

CNN and @Acosta attacking and maligning the reputation of a well-respected career civil servant who has served in multiple administrations because his investigation proved that CNN and Acosta peddled outright fabrications (yet again) for weeks. Rather than admit it, they smear: https://t.co/iL73yWlSL4

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 10, 2021

At least the New York Times is giving a straightforward report.

The NYT headline is pretty straightforward: "Park Police Had Planned to Clear Area Before Trump’s Walk to Church, Watchdog Says." It does a decent job of describing what the IG proved.

But it never mentions how the NYT told its readers the false story.https://t.co/95E4J2A2S6 pic.twitter.com/FaIBzvvr2i

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 10, 2021