Trump briefly taken to underground bunker amid protests in Washington DC
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US President Donald Trump was briefly rushed to an underground bunker in the White House, amid protests in Washington DC on Sunday night, The New York Times has reported.
Violent protests have been breaking out in cities across the United States in recent days following the killing of George Floyd, an African-American, by a white police officer in downtown Minneapolis on May 25. At least 75 cities have seen protestors take to the streets.
Get tough Democrat Mayors and Governors. These people are ANARCHISTS. Call in our National Guard NOW. The World is watching and laughing at you and Sleepy Joe. Is this what America wants? NO!!!
Around 4,100 people were arrested in protests across the nation over the weekend, and in the capital, multiple fires were set near the White House. Bricks and bottles were also thrown at the residence.
According to a source inside the White House who spoke to The New York Times, the mood inside the residence was tense as the hundreds of protestors gathered for the third night in a row.
Nervous for the President’s safety, Secret Service agents “abruptly rushed” Trump to an underground bunker used in times of a terrorist attack, where he remained for under an hour.
Protesters confront police outside the White House during a demonstration over the death of George Floyd, who died in police custody, in Washington, DC, USA, 31 May 2020. EPA-EFE/JIM LO SCALZO
The building was quieter than usual, as some officials were told not to come in to work in case of renewed unrest. By day, thousands gathered in the nation’s capital to protest peacefully, but as the night drew in, hundreds remained to give voice to their anger, surging toward lines of riot police armed with plastic shields as the two sides pushed for control of Lafayette Square across from the White House.
Fireworks were set off, bottles thrown and fires set, including a car which was ignited. At least one of the fires appears to have spread as flames caught in the basement of St. John’s Episcopal Church, known as the “Church of Presidents” as it has been attended at least once by every chief executive since the days of James Madison. However, the fire was quickly put out by firefighters attending the scene.
The president responded by taking angrily to Twitter on Sunday night and in the early hours of Monday morning, where he called for the National Guard to be deployed and for Mayors and Governors to take control of the rapidly escalating situation.
