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June 18, 2020

Trump Calls Protesters "Anarchists, Terrorists and Looters" as Vigilantes Attack Peaceful Marches
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Protests against racism and police brutality continue across the United
States - and continue to make political gains. Officials in East
Lansing, Michigan; Duluth, Minnesota; Eugene, Oregon; Columbus, Ohio;
and elsewhere are moving to ban police officers from schoolhouses.

Here in New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed an executive order
declaring Juneteenth - a day celebrating African Americans' liberation
from slavery - as a holiday for state employees.

Meanwhile, President Trump continued to demonize Black Lives Matter
protesters, telling Fox News Wednesday their efforts were losing steam.

President Donald Trump: "The protesters and anarchists and terrorists
and looters and all of the people that were marching on various
locations over the last couple of weeks, that's died down. They've lost
some energy. That's good, but - because many of them don't even know
what they're protesting, frankly."

Trump's remarks came as Black Lives Matter protesters continue to be
attacked by vigilantes and far-right counterprotesters. In Portland,
Oregon, three protesters were injured after a driver plowed into a group
marching peacefully downtown early Wednesday. In Taylor, Michigan, one
person was injured Tuesday evening after a driver sped through a
peaceful protest, crushing one demonstrator's bicycle. And earlier this
week, officials in Albuquerque, New Mexico, displayed assault rifles,
handguns, knives and hundreds of rounds of ammunition seized from
members of a far-right militia group that meanaced a peaceful protest on
Monday. One protester was shot and hospitalized in critical condition.


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