Divide Deepens, But Trump Eyes Poll

Divide Deepens, But Trump Eyes Poll

Clashes Continue On Day 6; Prez Was ‘Moved’ To Bunker During Stir Outside White House

Chidanand.Rajghatta@timesgroup.com

Washington:02.06.2020

“NOVEMBER 3RD,” US President Donald Trump tweeted in all caps on Sunday as America raged with fury over racism for the sixth successive day. Another tweet challenged a “heavily biased Democratic poll”, while boasting that he is leading in all swing states and has the biggest “enthusiasm” lead ever.

Amid a furious social and racial conflagration that has spread to scores of American cities, the president is making no secret of the fact that he is looking at the unfolding chaos through the prism of the November presidential election. Denying there are any “white supremest” groups involved in the rioting as alleged by some liberal activists, Trump blamed Antifa, an autonomous anti-fascist anti-capitalist left wing movement for the violence, associating Democrats with it. He also said he is designating Antifa as a terrorist organisation, although the US has no domestic terrorism law to designate something that has no organisational structure and no office bearers.

Trump’s anger at the protests peaked on Sunday night as hundreds of people who have been streaming towards the White House over the past few days turned violent over the weekend, burning signposts, traffic barricades, and anything combustible, even as many activists demonstrated peacefully seeking racial and social justice. At one point on Saturday, the Secret Service got so unnerved by the sight that they reportedly rushed Trump to an underground bunker last used during 9/11 for safety, generating social media ridicule. Soon after the news surfaced, Trump tweeted “FAKE NEWS!”, but several media outlets confirmed it even as online trolls mocked Trump with hashtags such as “BunkerPresident” and “BunkerDon”.

Scenes of violencewere everywhere, with ugly graffiti sprayed on government buildings and monuments, including one near Lincoln Memorial that read “YALL NOT TIRED YET?”. Luxury stores such as Gucci and Chanel were looted in New York City, and there were scenes of arson and vandalising of stores across the country. The random acts of violence and looting masked a more complicated picture of thousands of people emerging from their home to protest peacefully. In fact, even the police reaction was not always heavy-handed: in some instances, cops joined peaceful demonstrators, kneeling down with them in solidarity.

But in other incidents, cops unleashed brute force, using baton charges, pepper spray, and violence on even peaceful demonstrators and journalists. One widely circulated video showed a policeman with his knee on the neck of a protestor, exactly in the same manner that led to the killing of George Floyd, before his fellow cop managed to push the knee off the victim’s neck. It was not clear where and when the video was shot. In another instance, cops in Atlanta pulled out a black couple from a car and tasered them, leading to the mayor suspending two policemen.

Through all the seething disquiet, there was no effort on part of Trump to calm the situation. Instead, he lashed out at governors for their “weak” response to the violence, calling protesters “terrorists”. “Someone throwing a rock is like shooting a gun,” he told them. “You have to do retribution.”

Full report on www.toi.in

Along with imagery of fire and fury, there were also snaps of cordiality between police and protesters. While protests turned violent near the White House in Washington (left), a protester in Los Angeles was seen shaking hands with a National Guard member after others hurled insults at them