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Black Lives Matter, ACLU Sue Trump Over Assault on Peaceful Protesters Near White House

Protesters were gassed, shot with rubber bullets, and forcefully cleared.

Black Lives Matter and the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit against President Donald Trump and his administration Thursday over the assault on peaceful protesters near the White House this week. On Monday, protesters demonstrating over the killing of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis were tear-gassed, shot with rubber bullets, and forcefully cleared to allow the president to hold a photo opportunity at a historic church near the White House. The lawsuit—which names Trump, Attorney General William Barr, and other federal officials as defendants—states that there was “no legitimate basis to destroy the peaceable gathering,” and adds: “This case is about the president and attorney general of the United States ordering the use of violence against peaceful demonstrators who were speaking out against discriminatory police brutality targeted at black people.” The suit alleges that the administration violated the protesters’ First and Fourth Amendment rights, which protect the right to protest and protect against unreasonable search and seizure.