Attorney General William Barr authorized law enforcement to clear away a wave of protesters who gathered close to the White House on Monday night, a Justice Department official told CNN.
Barr, along with other officials from agencies who secure the White House, had plans to create a wider perimeter surrounding Lafayette Square, which is a federally owned park north of the building. That plan was in response to the fires and chaos brought on by the rioters the previous night.
The goal was to clear a path for President Donald Trump to walk to St. John's Episcopal Church at about 4 p.m. ET.
That plan, however, never went off as designed. Instead, Barr arrived at Lafayette Square a little past 6 p.m. ET, met by heckling and jeers from the large crowd. Once Barr saw the area was not cleared, he instructed police to do so, an official said.
Barr has learned from police that rioters were planning to throw rocks at law enforcement officials on the scene. The official also said water bottles were thrown in Barr's direction.
At about 6:24 p.m. ET, police reportedly broadcast a warning to the crowd to back away. At 6:35 p.m., police moved in on the crowd with their shields up, and in some cases, with their batons swinging at demonstrators, CNN reported.
Barr has called for a larger law enforcement presence Tuesday night.
"There will be even greater law enforcement resources and support in the region tonight," Barr said in a statement. "The most basic function of government is to provide security for people to live their lives and exercise their rights, and we will meet that responsibility here in the nation's capital."
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