DC Park Police: tear gas was NOT used in clearing "protesters", and strong push was used because they were violent.

Turns out they didn't use tear gas, despite the hysterical crocodile tears flowing on CNN and this board from Democrats claiming otherwise. Nor did they clear them so Trump could visit the church, though I'd be fine with it if they had. Apparently the Attorney General visited earlier and a rioter threw a bottle at him, narrowly missing. The AG gave the order to push them back farther. It was also right before the 7 PM curfew leaders had vowed to enforce anyway. They gave warnings to back off through loudspeakers, which the mob ignored, and violently resisted when the cops tried to advance, so the police rightly escalated, though not with tear gas. This was after days of the DC rioters injuring numerous agents, assaulting Fox News reporters, defacing national monuments, and setting the historic church on fire.

"Park Police say they cleared White House protest after attack by activists

The US Park Police on Tuesday said they cleared protesters from in front of the White House on Monday because they were attacked while attempting to install a new fence, indirectly denying they did so because President Trump wanted to visit a fire-damaged historic church.

Park Police acting Chief Gregory Monahan pushed back on a prevailing narrative that authorities cleared way for Trump in an afternoon statement nearly 24 hours after the fracas aired live by TV crews, some of whom were struck by authorities.

Monahan specifically denied a widespread claim that Park Police or another agency, such as Secret Service or the National Guard, deployed tear gas against demonstrators protesting the killing of George Floyd by Minnesota police, as was widely reported and alleged, including by Trump’s presumed Democratic opponent Joe Biden.

Officers did however use smoke canisters and pepper balls, which induce a stinging effect similar to pepper spray, he said. Moments later on 16th St directly north of the White House, there were loud bangs that appeared to be from police flash-bang grenades, but Monahan’s statement did not address their use.

The Park Police chief, whose beleaguered force was pelted with bricks and water bottles throughout Saturday and Sunday night, said that on Monday, officers advanced around 6:33 pm and “violent protestors on H Street NW began throwing projectiles including bricks, frozen water bottles and caustic liquids.”

“The protestors also climbed onto a historic building at the north end of Lafayette Park that was destroyed by arson days prior,” Monahan said. “Intelligence had revealed calls for violence against the police, and officers found caches of glass bottles, baseball bats and metal poles hidden along the street. To curtail the violence that was underway, the USPP, following established policy, issued three warnings over a loudspeaker to alert demonstrators on H Street to evacuate the area. Horse mounted patrol, Civil Disturbance Units and additional personnel were used to clear the area.”

Monahan continued, “As many of the protestors became more combative, continued to throw projectiles, and attempted to grab officers’ weapons, officers then employed the use of smoke canisters and pepper balls. No tear gas was used by USPP officers or other assisting law enforcement partners to close the area at Lafayette Park. Subsequently, the fence was installed.”"

https://nypost.com/2020/06/02/park-police-say-protesters-near-trump-speech-were-cleared-for-attacks-on-cops/