Arrests and prison time for people destroying statues: Trump
June 23, 2020
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he had authorized government officials to arrest anyone who vandalizes or destroys monuments on federal property.
The president announced the measure on Twitter, saying it was effective immediately.
He added that it could be used to retroactively to address past destruction or vandalism.
Statue near White House targeted
On Monday night, protesters tried to pull down a statue of President Andrew Jackson near the White House.
Police intervened, using pepper spray to move protesters from Lafayette Square, the statue is located.
Video footage posted online showed protesters on top of the statue. They tied ropes around it and tried to pull it off its pedestal.
The state depicts Jackson in his military uniform atop a horse. The statue was targeted because of the 19th-century president’s cruel treatment of Native Americans.
A global reckoning with the past
Monuments and statues honoring controversial figures have come into the line of fire of protesters and activists after weeks of global demonstrations over racism and policing.
Read more: What should be done with controversial monuments?
In Europe, statues of historical figures with ties to colonialism or slavery have been vandalized or pulled down.
In the US, monuments paying homage to the rebel Confederacy from the nation's Civil War-era, among others, have become key targets.
kp/rc (Reuters, AP)