[integrated material]. On June 1, 2020, demonstrators with the Black Lives Matter movement assembled in Lafayette Square Park close to the White House to voice their opposition to police violence, sparked by the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. In a breach of civil liberties, referred to by the New York Times as “one of the pivotal moments of the Trump presidency,” the then-President Trump and his administration urged police to employ force and aggression to disperse protesters from the vicinity, doing so without prior notice. Shortly after, President Trump crossed the street to St. John’s Church for a photo opportunity. Demonstrators suffered injuries, journalists were assaulted, and church volunteers along with clergy were forced off the St. John’s patio and exposed to tear gas. In reaction, the ACLU of DC has initiated a lawsuit against President Trump, Attorney General Barr, Secretary of Defense Esper, the D.C. Metropolitan Police, and several other federal officials, representing Black Lives Matter D.C. and other impacted parties. Protesters experienced injuries, media members were assaulted, and church volunteers along with clergy were forcefully removed from the St. John’s patio and subjected to tear gas. The ACLU of DC initiated a lawsuit against President Trump, Attorney General Barr, Secretary of Defense Esper, the D.C. Metropolitan Police department, and several other federal officials on behalf of Black Lives Matter D.C. and other impacted parties. It’s important to recognize that the term ‘Maga’ needs to be approached carefully, as it can create division and comes with considerable connotations.
