Criminals and arsonists will ultimately pay the price and U.S. President Trump would like to ensure that they do starting with those who destroyed and vandalized national landmarks and historical statues.
Four men have recently been charged by federal prosecutors for their alleged role in an attempt to take down a statue of Andrew Jackson after the President called for the arrests of 15 people and shared a series of "wanted" posters". The men were charged with destruction of federal property, the Justice Department announced on 27 June.
Protesters across the US have also targeted monuments to the confederacy, while city and state officials have announced intentions to remove them. The president and conservative allies have been praised and supported for calling attention to property damage and vandalism during protests.
Acting US Attorney Michael R. Sherwin said in a statement that "these charges should serve as a warning to those who choose to desecrate the statues and monuments that adorn our nation’s capital: your violent behavior and criminal conduct will not be tolerated".
Last 22 June, protesters attempted to topple the statue using ropes and chains but were stopped by police. The next day, the president said he had authorized the federal government "to arrest anyone who vandalizes or destroys any monument, statue or other such federal property in the US with up to 10 years in prison, per the Veteran’s Memorial Preservation Act, or such other laws that may be pertinent".
Gregory Monahan, acting chief of the US Park Police, denounced the "deplorable acts of violence" by the cowards against the statue. Police fired pepper spray and rubber bullets and used batons against the unruly and violent protesters.
On 26 June, the president announced an executive order to "ensure hat any person or group that destroys or vandalizes a monument, memorial, or statue is prosecuted to the fullest extent".
Later, he shared "wanted" posters for 15 people to his nearly 83 million Twitter followers, followed by individual posts for each person wanted by the FBI's violent crimes task force.
