Washington, D.C. – This week, peaceful protesters were violently attacked so that Trump could stage a photo outside of a church. Across the country, more people were pepper sprayed and shot with rubber bullets, as Trump moved 1,600 active duty troops to use military force on protesters following the communities’ response to the murder of George Floyd by the Minneapolis Police.
Trump’s administration has also deployed Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to partner with local law enforcement to surveil protesters and to bring more deadly force to our communities.
Cristina Jimenez, Executive Director and Co-Founder of United We Dream Action, said:
“It is beyond sickening to hear the president of the United States call on the military and police force to hurt and shoot its people. We’ve seen protestors be shoved, pelted with rubber bullets, and tear gassed so that Trump could have a photo-op. Trump has shown us exactly who he is, a white supremacist who has not only sent the military, but is also using his deportation force of ICE and CBP to instill more fear into our communities.
Yet, Black people and allies across the country continue to bravely take to the streets to demand justice and show the country the leadership that is needed in this moment.
Black lives are on the line. The lives of people of color are on the line. That is why United We Dream Action in solidarity with the Movement for Black Lives is calling on Trump to resign.
The killings of Black people must stop! Only when Black people are able to live and thrive without the fear of being killed, locked up in prisons and detention camps, can all people live free and thrive.
United We Dream Action also calls on all elected officials, local, state and national leaders, to reject Trump’s racist and violent rhetoric and commit to invest in communities, not the police and the deportation agencies that are being used to attack our communities.”