MASSIVE demonstrations against racism and police brutality filled some of America’s most famous cityscapes over the weekend, with tens of thousands of people marching peacefully in scenes that were more often festive than tense.
Meanwhile, the latest polling for the presidential election suggests Joe Biden is far ahead of Trump, on 49% against the incumbent’s 42%.
The largest demonstration stateside appeared to be in Washington DC, where streams of protesters flooded streets closed to traffic.
On a hot, humid day, they gathered at the Capitol, on the National Mall and in suburbs. Some turned intersections into dance floors. Tents offered snacks and water.
At the White House, which was fortified with new fencing and extra security measures, chants and cheers could be heard in waves.
President Donald Trump, who has urged authorities to crack down on unrest, downplayed the demonstration, tweeting: “Much smaller crowd in DC than anticipated.”
It was widely reported last week that Trump wanted 10,000 troops ordered on to the streets of the US. However, appearing on television yesterday, US attorney general William Barr denied this was the case, saying: “The president never asked or suggested that we needed to deploy regular troops at that point.
“I think our position was common, which was that they should only be deployed ... as a last resort and that we didn’t think we would need them. I think everyone was on the same page.”
Barr went on to deny that US institutions are systematically racist, an accusation often heard coming from protesters across the country.
Barr said: “I think there’s racism in the United States still but I don’t think that the law enforcement system is systemically racist.
“I understand the distrust, however, of the African American community given the history in this country. I think we have to recognize that for most of our history, our institutions were explicitly racist.
“Since the 1960s, I think we’ve been in a phase of reforming our institutions and making sure that they’re in sync with our laws.”
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