US President Donald Trump reportedly convenes discussions with Attorney General Bill Barr, law enforcement officials, and governors on Monday from a secretive bunker within the White House, amidst ongoing violent protests across the country following George Floyd’s death.
According to reports from various US media outlets, Attorney General Bill Barr met with the president on Monday morning, and Trump is set to host a video conference with governors, law enforcement leaders, and US national security officials in the Situation Room to address ways to ensure the safety of American communities amidst the protests sparked by Floyd’s killing at the hands of a police officer.
Throughout the weekend, rioters targeted and vandalized businesses and malls, including setting fire to a church in Washington D.C. Other actions included burning cars, setting streets ablaze, and smashing windows of local stores, leading to confrontations between protesters and law enforcement after State Governors deployed the National Guard to quell the unrest.
Trump, shielded by the Secret Service, had to seek refuge in the secure secret White House bunker when protesters surrounded the White House on Sunday. Demonstrators set an American flag ablaze at Lafayette Park in front of the White House as they protested against police brutality on Sunday evening, and were met with tear gas by law enforcement aiming to disperse them as they advanced towards the White House.
According to the New York Times, Trump expressed concerns about his safety as the White House went dark after turning off its lights in a rare move Sunday night, while protests and riots continued just a few hundred yards away from the residence.
In a separate development, more than 50 Secret Service agents were injured in clashes with protesters in the nation’s capital on Sunday night, and over 4,100 people were arrested across the country over the weekend during riots in 145 cities.
Trump’s advisers have reportedly discussed the possibility of an Oval Office address to alleviate tensions, but Trump dismissed the idea due to the lack of policy proposals, placing responsibility in the hands of Governors and Mayors in affected areas.
Meanwhile, Governors and mayors have voiced support for the protesters’ right to assemble but urge an end to the violence and destruction in their cities.
The violence erupted following the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man who was killed while in the custody of a white police officer in Minneapolis on Memorial Day.