Two days before the big voters on Monday officialized the election of Joe Biden to the White House, new demonstrations took place on Saturday to demand “four more years” for Donald Trump, always quick to denounce fraud, remained unproven, which would have “stolen” his victory. The tension was such that five people were seriously injured, four with knives and one by gunshot.
The day began in a festive atmosphere with several thousand red “Make America Great Again” caps gathered on Freedom Plaza, a stone’s throw from the White House and the Supreme Court. A large crowd, certainly, but less than the 10,000 people who came to support a month ago. As if the setback inflicted on Friday evening by the Supreme Court of the United States, however conservative majority, had dampened the motivations of the less vehement.
“Wow! Thousands of people are gathering in Washington to prevent the election from being stolen from us, ”Donald Trump tweeted on Saturday before his helicopter flew over the crowd singing the American anthem.
From the start of the day, there were a few clashes between pro and anti-Trump, but the atmosphere hardened after dark. According to the Washington Post, “repeated” brawls have particularly struck anti-Trump and activists of the Black Lives Matter movement against members of the Proud Boys, this white supremacist group, exclusively male, that the outgoing president refused to criticize.
In the federal capital, four people were stabbed and hospitalized “with serious injuries,” Doug Buchanan, communications manager of the Washington DC fire department and emergency services, told AFP. According to the mayor of “DC”, Muriel Bowser, they were in critical condition on Saturday evening. Two police officers were also injured, without their life being in danger.
At least 23 people were arrested, six for assaulting the police, ten for simple assault.
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Police in Washington state, in the northwest of the country, tweeted an arrest after a shooting following clashes near the Capitol building in Olympia, where an identical demonstration was taking place.
Gatherings were also held in Atlanta and Saint Paul (Minnesota) and in smaller towns including Nebraska and Alabama.
Original article by : www.leparisien.fr
