D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on Monday suggested that professional protesters were involved in demonstrations over the weekend in the nation’s capital, though she didn’t name any particular groups.
“We’ve seen some of these tactics before, so we know that they were among the groups here,” Ms. Bowser said on NBC’s “Today” program. “The types of tools that they use, restocking, setting fires here and there to try to draw in the police to various locations.”
“We recognize that people are frustrated and mad but tearing up our beautiful city is not the way to bring attention to what is a righteous cause,” she said.
Washington, D.C., was one of a number of cities across the country to see protests after last week’s killing of George Floyd, a black man who died while in police custody in Minnesota after an officer kneeled on his neck for nearly 9 minutes.
President Trump and the Justice Department have singled out antifa, the left-wing anti-fascist street group, as among those involved in the ensuing protests.
Protesters have staged multiple gatherings near the White House in recent days, and Mr. Trump was reportedly taken to an emergency underground bunker on Friday as the demonstrations grew heated.
The headquarters of the AFL-CIO was among the properties damaged over the weekend.
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on Monday said such attacks are “senseless” and “disgraceful” and that they detract from peaceful protesters.
“We categorically reject those on the fringes who are engaging in violence and destroying property,” he said. “We are united unequivocally against the forces of hate who seek to divide this nation for their own personal and political gain at our expense.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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