Trump threatens vandals with '10yrs in prison' for defacing Andrew Jackson statue, St. John's Church amid clashes near White House

RT
Tue, 23 Jun 2020 19:34 UTC

© Reuters / Joshua Robert

Police officers clash with protesters during an attempt to pull down the statue of former US President Andrew Jackson near the White House in Washington, DC, June 22, 2020.

US President Donald Trump has warned of harsh consequences for anyone defacing statues or monuments in Washington, DC, saying the vandals could spend up to a decade in prison.

"Numerous people arrested in DC for the disgraceful vandalism, in Lafayette Park, of the magnificent Statue of Andrew Jackson, in addition to the exterior defacing of St. John's Church across the street," Trump tweeted on Monday night, after several protests erupted in the city.

10 years in prison under the Veteran's Memorial Preservation Act. Beware!

Demonstrators gathered in Lafayette Park near the White House earlier on Monday, attempting to topple the Jackson statue and vandalizing the historic St. John's Church with graffiti. Police reinforcements were sent in to protect both locations, with videos shared online showing clashes between protesters and law enforcement.

A number of arrests were made amid the skirmishes, as was also seen in footage from the protests.

Inspired by a similar effort in Seattle, activists also tried to establish a new protester encampment - dubbed the "Black House Autonomous Zone" (BHAZ) - less than two miles away from the White House. The nascent zone's initials were seen spray painted on the exterior of the St. John's Church, where the DC Metro Police have set up a perimeter to prevent further vandalism.

Comment: 'No exceptions!' Trump orders the arrest of anyone vandalizing monuments, warns they face up to 10 years in prison

Donald Trump has authorized law enforcement to arrest anyone who vandalizes statues or other landmarks on federal property and sentence them to as much as a decade in prison. He said the measures can also be imposed retroactively.

The US president wrote on Twitter that he would no longer tolerate the destruction of federal property.

"I have authorized the Federal Government to arrest anyone who vandalizes or destroys any monument, statue or other such Federal property in the U.S. with up to 10 years in prison, per the Veteran's Memorial Preservation Act, or such other laws that may be pertinent," he said, adding that his instructions would be implemented "immediately" and may also be used retroactively to prosecute vandals.

"There will be no exceptions!" he warned.

Trump had earlier hinted that protesters who attacked a statue of Andrew Jackson, located across from the White House in Lafayette Park, could face years in prison. He said similar punishments could be imposed on those who vandalized the historic St. John's Church.

Police intervened and dispersed the protesters as they attempted to pull down the Jackson statue on Monday. The statue, as well as the nearby church, was tagged with graffiti.

Countless statues and monuments have been vandalized and toppled across the United States. In most cases, police have been hesitant to get involved. Trump's new directive appears to apply only to federal property - which likely means that many instances of vandalism will remain unpunished.