Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser sent a scathing letter to Donald Trump on Friday urging the president to remove the military and law enforcement presence out of her city. That includes the well-equipped riot officers who aren’t wearing insignias and have refused to identify themselves.
Bowser slammed Trump and claimed that the federal officers’ presence is just making the already tense situation worse.
“The deployment of federal law enforcement personnel and equipment are inflaming demonstrators,” Bowser wrote. “This multiplicity of forces can breed dangerous confusion, such as when helicopters are used in a war-like tactic to frighten and disperse peaceful protestors.”
According to VICE:
Bowser ended the city’s state of emergency on Friday after violence appeared to recede following several days of unrest that accompanied protests against police brutality.
But it’s not clear Trump will listen to her demands. D.C.’s unique federal status limits Bowser’s ability to control what happens in her city. And it’s allowed the Trump administration to deploy federal agents patrol territory near the White House with extraordinary independence.
You can read the letter to Trump below:
I request that @realDonaldTrump withdraw all extraordinary federal law enforcement and military presence from our city. pic.twitter.com/AvaJfQ0mxP
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) June 5, 2020