The Department of the Interior released new footage Wednesday of U.S. Park Police clashes with violent protesters outside the White House late last month, showing protesters repeatedly striking officers and hurling bricks and other projectiles at them.
"The video shows agitators throwing bricks, glass, bottles, and other assaults against law enforcement officers," an agency spokesman said. "More than 60 U.S. Park Police officers have been injured since these protests started, some hospitalized requiring surgeries."
The video, according to the agency, was taken during protests before June 1, when authorities cleared Lafayette Park to give President Donald Trump a path to visit St. John's Church. The actions taken by police were roundly criticized by Trump's political opponents and media commentators, who have repeatedly characterized the ongoing anti-police protests as peaceful.
The Park Police defended the decision to clear Lafayette Park, emphasizing the violence officers had dealt with in the days leading up to June 1.