Schakowsky Calls for Special Prosecutor To Investigate Excessive Force Ordered Against Peaceful Protesters
EVANSTON, IL – Today, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), a Senior Chief Deputy Whip, joined House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee Co-Chair David Cicilline (RI-01) and over 80 Congressional colleagues, in calling for a Special Prosecutor to investigate the excessive use of force on Monday evening ordered by U.S. Attorney General William Barr. After President Trump’s Rose Garden speech about the ongoing civil unrest, he headed to St. John’s Church for a photo opportunity, after the Attorney General had ordered Secret Service and other federal government law enforcement agencies to clear the area with brute force and the use of tear gas and other excessive methods.
The letter reads, “we watched as police officers used flashbangs, tear gas, and rubber munitions against a peaceful protest across the street from the White House. Hundreds of law-abiding American citizens had gathered to protest the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed African American man who died last week in Minneapolis under the knee of a police officer. We could not understand why such aggressive tactics were being used – a whole 30 minutes before the District of Columbia’s curfew was set to go into effect – until we saw the President, yourself, and several senior White House officials walk through the site of the protest to film a cynical, political propaganda video that the White House later released through social media.”
The letter concludes, “Given the issues at stake, and your evident role in suppressing the right of the American people to redress their grievances, it is clear that a special prosecutor must be appointed to investigate your actions and the actions of all executive branch officials involved in this action.”
A PDF of the full letter is available HERE, and the full text is pasted below.
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June 4, 2020
William Barr
Attorney General
United States Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20530
Attorney General Barr:
On Monday, we watched as police officers used flashbangs, tear gas, and rubber munitions against a peaceful protest across the street from the White House. Hundreds of law-abiding American citizens had gathered to protest the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed African American man who died last week in Minneapolis under the knee of a police officer.
We could not understand why such aggressive tactics were being used – a whole 30 minutes before the District of Columbia’s curfew was set to go into effect – until we saw the President, yourself, and several senior White House officials walk through the site of the protest to film a cynical, political propaganda video that the White House later released through social media.
The use of these measures for such a contemptuous purpose would be reason for condemnation on its own. However, the Washington Post reported yesterday that you were responsible for this reprehensible display.
As you know, the First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees “the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” This appears to have been violated given the fact that no order to disperse was issued, no violence had been reported, and it was still 30 minutes before curfew.
The Supreme Court has held that “expression on public issues ‘has always rested on the highest rung of the hierarchy of First Amendment values’" (NAACP v. Claiborne Hardware Co.), and that “debate on public issues should be uninhibited, robust, and wide-open" (New York Times Co. v. Sullivan).
Given the issues at stake, and your evident role in suppressing the right of the American people to redress their grievances, it is clear that a special prosecutor must be appointed to investigate your actions and the actions of all executive branch officials involved in this action.
We look forward to your prompt response.
Sincerely,
David N. Cicilline
A. Donald McEachin
Adriano Espaillat
Alan Lowenthal
Albio Sires
Alcee L. Hastings
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Alma S. Adams, Ph.D
Andre’ Carson
Ayanna Pressley
Barbara Lee
Bill Foster
Bill Keating
Bill Pascrell, Jr.
Brendan F. Boyle
Brian Higgins
Carolyn B. Maloney
Chellie Pingree
Danny K. Davis
David Price
Deb Haaland
Debbie Mucarsel-Powell
Denny Heck
Dina Titus
Donald M. Payne, Jr.
Donald S. Beyer Jr.
Donna Shalala
Earl Blumenauer
Eddie Bernice Johnson
Eleanor Holmes Norton
Eliot L. Engel
Frank Pallone, Jr.
G. K. Butterfield
Gerald E. Connolly
Grace Meng
Gwen Moore
Hakeem Jeffries
Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr.
Jamie Raskin
Jan Schakowsky
Jared Huffman
Jerry McNerney
Jim Himes
Joe Neguse
John Garamendi
John Yarmuth
Joseph P. Kennedy, III
Judy Chu
Katherine Clark
Kathy Castor
Linda T. Sánchez
Lizzie Fletcher
Lois Frankel
Lori Trahan
Madeleine Dean
Marcy Kaptur
Mark DeSaulnier
Mark Pocan
Mark Takano
Mary Gay Scanlon
Matt Cartwright
Mike Thompson
Nanette Diaz Barragán
Nita M. Lowey
Norma J. Torres
Nydia M. Velázquez
Peter A. DeFazio
Peter Welch
Pramila Jayapal
Wm. Lacy Clay
Rosa L. DeLauro
Sheila Jackson-Lee
Stephanie Murphy
Steve Cohen
Suzan K. DelBene
Suzanne Bonamici
Sylvia R. Garcia
Ted Lieu
Theodore E. Deutch
Thomas R. Suozzi
Tom Malinowski
Veronica Escobar
Zoe Lofgren
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