Barr Personally Ordered Park Be Cleared Of Protesters

The Washington Post reports:

Attorney General William P. Barr ordered law enforcement officials on the ground to extend the perimeter around Lafayette Square, which is adjacent to the White House, just before President Trump spoke Monday, a Justice Department official said.

According to two federal law enforcement officials, the decision had been made late Sunday night or early Monday morning to extend the perimeter around Lafayette Square by one block. The plan was to be executed, according to the Justice Department official, the following afternoon. Barr was a part of the decision-making process, the official said.

Police soon moved on the protesters, pushing them back with riot shields and horses. The group had been peaceful. The official said Barr “assumed that any resistance from the protesters of being moved would be met with typical crowd control measures.”