Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse peaceful demonstrators near the White House on Monday (June 1) as US President Donald Trump vowed a massive show of force to end violent protests over the death of George Floyd in police custody.
Law enforcement, including officers on horseback, moved on protesters in Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House as Trump made his remarks from the Rose Garden.
The police action against protesters cleared the way for Trump to walk from the White House to nearby St John's Episcopal Church along with other officials including US Attorney General William Barr. Trump posed for photos at the church, which suffered minor damage the night before, holding up a Bible.
The security forces that moved against protesters at the White House included National Guard military police, Secret Service, Department of Homeland Security police as well as District of Columbia police.
Trump, a Republican, has condemned the killing of Floyd and promised justice however, has described protesters as "thugs."
Opponents accuse him of stoking conflict and racial tension when he should be uniting the nation and addressing underlying issues, and his campaign-style appearance at St John's Church sparked criticism.
"I'm outraged," Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, which includes the church, said on CNN.
Trump's message was antithetical to church teachings, she said.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo criticised the use of force against demonstrators to make way for Trump to hold the picture-taking opportunity.
"It was really, truly shameful," he said.