Black Lives Matter LOSES lawsuit over removal of protesters from DC park for Trump's church walk
BLACK Lives Matter has lost its lawsuit against Donald Trump over the removal of protesters from Lafayette Square for his Bible photo op.
Federal judge Dabney Friedrich said on Monday that the DC branch, along with the American Civil Liberties Union of DC, could not proceed with its claim black demonstrators were targeted.
The group had tried to sue the former president, then-Attorney General Bill Barr, and ex-Defense Secretary Mark Esper, claiming they directed a conspiracy to remove the protesters for the June photo shoot.
But Judge Friedrich ruled the claims were speculative, writing: "Merely alleging that the defendant officials communicated, without alleging any details of those communications that suggest an unlawful agreement, cannot justify inferring the requisite agreement for a…conspiracy"
She said the District of Columbia branch of BLM can still proceed with their claims of excessive force against DC and Arlington County police agencies.
Friedrich said: "Reasonable officers would have known that such alleged actions violated clearly established law."
ACLU spokesperson Scott Michelman said: "Today’s ruling essentially gives the federal government a green light to use violence, including lethal force against demonstrators, as long as federal officials claim to be protecting national security.
"Not only is this decision a stunning rejection of our constitutional values and protesters’ First Amendment rights, but it effectively places federal officials above the law."
Trump earlier this month celebrated his exoneration after an internal report found that he did not influence police to clear Lafayette Square for the Bible photo op.
In a statement, the former President said that he had been "completely and totally" exonerated.
The report from the Department of the Interior's Office of the Inspector General concluded that the protests were cleared by Park Police so that a contractor could install new fencing near the White House.
Reports at the time suggested that Trump had cleared Lafayette Square for a photo-op at a nearby church.
Demonstrators were protesting the death of George Floyd, who died after former police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes.
On June 1, protests were forced from the area with flash-bangs and pepper balls.
Just 30 minutes later, Trump was seen walking across Lafayette Park where he delivered a short speech in front of St. John's Church, before leaving a short time later; he didn't enter the church.
At the time, the church clergy have claimed Trump simply used the site as a photo opportunity “prop."
The watchdog's conclusion echoes the White House's justification from June 3, 2020.
"In the morning, [Attorney General Bill] Barr had determined that we needed to expand the perimeter by one block on each side," White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said at a briefing.
"He was surprised, AG Barr when he arrived at the White House to see that the perimeter had not been moved."
Trump also claimed last year that he did not order those protesting to be moved.
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