Apologies if I screw up the posting of this, but the WaPo has put together an interesting video of the events surrounding the clearing of the area near St. Johns Church on June 1. If I haven’t posted it properly, maybe someone who is better able to do that can post the video.
From this video, several things seem pretty clear. One, the clearing of the area was absolutely to create space for the photo op, not to put up the bigger fences around Lafayette Square.
Two, the protesters were overwhelmingly peaceful. They threw eggs, water bottles, and candy bars at the federales. Hadn’t heard the candy bars one before. If you look closely at the video, you can see Bill Barr bend down, pick up, and eat the candy bars. (OK, I’m funnin’ youse guys on that one.) No bricks or caustic liquids were observed being thrown by protesters in the video obtained by the Post.
Three, the authorities absolutely discharged a shItload of stuff. I appreciate the chemistry lessons that have been posted, but to me the most significant thing is that there were a number of discharges of a variety of what I will call very aggressive bad “stuff” into and around the crowd.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/