U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he was ordering the National Guard to withdraw from Washington, D.C., following nearly two weeks of protests and demonstrations in the capital.
In an early-morning tweet , Trump said that everything in the area was under control.
“I have just given an order for our National Guard to start the process of withdrawing from Washington, D.C., now that everything is under perfect control. They will be going home, but can quickly return, if needed. Far fewer protesters showed up last night than anticipated!” he said.
Around 20,000 people showed up to protest in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, though some leaders were expecting up to 200,000 people to show up to demonstrate in support of Black Live Matter and against the president’s handling of the civil unrest in the country, as The Inquisitr previously reported.
Protesters hoped to gather up to 1 million people, rivaling the women’s march in 2017.
The presence of the National Guard has been a sticking point between Trump and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. On Friday, Bowser vowed to evict National Guard troops from local hotels.
“The incompetent Mayor of Washington, D.C., @MayorBowser, who’s budget is totally out of control and is constantly coming back to us for ‘handouts’, is now fighting with the National Guard, who saved her from great embarrassment over the last number of nights. If she doesn’t treat these men and women well, then we’ll bring in a different group of men and women!” he tweeted .
Over 5,000 troops were in place to maintain peace in D.C., and officials say that protesters in recent days have been peaceful, with no arrests made and no curfew necessary.
More than 5,000 National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from 11 states and D.C. are manning traffic control points, aid stations and protecting the safety of peaceful protesters in Washington, D.C. on June 6, 2020. pic.twitter.com/e30oT19pAI
— National Guard (@USNationalGuard) June 6, 2020
Protesters descended on the capital to demonstrate against police brutality and the death of George Floyd, the unarmed black man who died while in police custody on March 25. Floyd was held down by an officer who placed a knee on his neck while Floyd expressed that he couldn’t breathe and called for his deceased mother.
He later became unresponsive and was taken to a local hospital where he was declared dead. The video of his death spread rapidly, touching off protests across the country. At one point, things reached a place where the president and his family were reportedly taken to the White House bunker in order to ensure their safety, though Trump has said that he was only there to conduct an inspection.
It isn’t clear from Trump’s tweet if only the out-of-state guards will be leaving or if all National Guard forces will leave.
