Justin Welby joins chorus of criticism at Donald Trump's Bible photo-op after protesters tear-gassed

Justice Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, is spiritual leader of the Church of England - Kirsty O'Connor/PA Wire
Justice Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, is spiritual leader of the Church of England - Kirsty O'Connor/PA Wire

The Archbishop of Canterbury has joined US religious leaders in criticising Donald Trump after protesters outside the White House were tear-gassed, creating space for a presidential photo opportunity by a church.

Most Rev Justin Welby shared a tweet posted by Michael Curry, the American bishop who spoke at Prince Harry and Meghan’s wedding, accusing Mr Trump of exploiting the church for political reasons.

Mr Curry wrote that Mr Trump “used a church building and the Holy Bible for partisan political purposes”, later saying the move “did nothing to help us or to heal us”.

Archbishop Welby shared Mr Curry's comments on Twitter, writing: “I thank God for Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s leadership and for all in the US who are striving for racial justice and reconciliation.”

The decision by the spiritual leader of the Church of England to indicate his concern reflects the wave of outage in US religious and political circles to the scenes in Washington DC on the seventh night of nationwide anti-racism protests. 

Hundreds of demonstrators protesting peacefully scrambled back on Monday night as police suddenly advanced, firing tear gas and letting off flash grenades.

 

Minutes later Mr Trump walked through the space cleared and held a bible outside a church. 

The Prime Minister's official spokesman appear to offer some criticism of the scenes playing out in the US, saying on Tuesday: “The violence is clearly very alarming. People must be allowed to protest peacefully.”

Dominic Raab, the Foreign Secretary, said: "Anyone that's watched those distressing pictures in relation to George Floyd or indeed the wider protest and violence across America, we all want to see America come together, not tear itself apart."

In America, Joe Biden accused Mr Trump of fanning the “flames of hate” as Democrats widely condemned the White House scenes.

The party’s likely presidential nominee for the November election called Mr Trump incompetent and self-absorbed, saying: “His narcissism has become more important than the nation’s well-being that he leads.”

Former military leaders also voiced criticism, but Republican senators largely sided with their president as his hardline approach to ending nationwide protests was fiercely debated.

With an eighth day of protests happening on Tuesday over the death of George Floyd, the black American who died after having his neck crushed by the knee of a white police officer, much of the focus was on the night before.

Once again peaceful protests had been overshadowed by looting and violent clashes with police. New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Detroit - more than 140 cities have seen demonstrations.

Some 40 of them had curfews in place.  Episodes of extreme violence emerged. In Las Vegas, an officer shot in the head was on life support. In St Louis, Missouri, four officers were hit by gunfire.

In locations too numerous to list police used tear gas, rubber bullets and truncheons to control crowds.  But it was the president’s actions which also made headlines.

Donald Trump walks from the White House through Lafayette Park to visit St John's Church - AP Photo/Patrick Semansky
Donald Trump walks from the White House through Lafayette Park to visit St John's Church - AP Photo/Patrick Semansky

Mr Trump, delivering his first on-camera comments about the demonstrations in 48 hours, declared himself a “law and order” president as he spoke from the White House’s Rose Garden at around 6.30pm on Monday.

The president warned that if governors failed to stop the violence then “I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them”. Vowing to “dominate the streets”, he said: “We will end it now.”

Around the same time Mr Trump was calling himself “an ally of all peaceful protesters” on one side of the White House, on the other a line of policemen unexpectedly began to advance on demonstrators.

They fired tear gas and threw flash grenades, sending protesters - who had been acting peacefully at the time - scrambling back and choking.

There were screams when the explosions went off. One protester later told The Daily Telegraph: "The first thing I did was panic and run."

A line of officers in helmets and shields, used occasionally to push people back, was followed by a second line of police on horseback.

Eventually the crowds were a block away from the top of Lafayette Square, the park just north of the White House.

The reason for the sudden advancement then became clear as Mr Trump strode out through the park - the epicentre of four days of protest - stepping over debris and at one point passing a burned out public bathroom covered in profane graffiti.

The destination was St John's Episcopal Church, known as the ‘church of presidents’ given Oval Office occupants dating back to James Maddison have attended it.

A fire had briefly broken out in the basement the night before during protests.  Mr Trump raised a Bible in his right hand as he stood before cameramen in front of the church.

Asked if it was “your Bible” by a reporter, the president replied “a Bible”.  Other administration figures then joined him for photos.

Donald Trump visit to the St John Paul II National Shrine, a Catholic religious site in the city, on Tuesday 
Donald Trump visit to the St John Paul II National Shrine, a Catholic religious site in the city, on Tuesday

“We have the greatest country in the world,” Mr Trump said before heading back to the White House. “Going to keep it nice and safe.”

As the split-screen moment played out on television, of protesters being pushed back with force while Mr Trump walked on the ground created by the advance, the political backlash from the Democrats was almost immediate.

“These are not the words of a president. They are the words of a dictator,” said Kamala Harris, the California senator. “Lives and our democracy are in danger,” said Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts senator. Both hope to be Mr Biden’s vice presidential pick.

Washington DC’s mayor, Muriel Bowser, was left infuriated that the police action took place 25 minutes before her 7pm curfew kicked in, when it was still legal to be on the streets demonstrating. “Shameful!” she tweeted.

Later it emerged that religious figures handing out water by the church had been tear-gassed. Gini Gerbasi, the rector of another Washington DC church who was present, described her experience in a Facebook post.

Retired Army Staff Sgt. Aubrey Rose starts a chant as people crowd in front of the Colorado State Capitol to protest in Denver, Colorado - Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images
Retired Army Staff Sgt. Aubrey Rose starts a chant as people crowd in front of the Colorado State Capitol to protest in Denver, Colorado - Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images

“I was coughing,” she said, describing the chaotic moment officers advanced. “I am shaken, not so much by the taste of tear gas and the bit of a cough I still have, but by the fact that that show of force was for a PHOTO OPPORTUNITY.”

Mr Biden, speaking about the protests in Philadelphia on Tuesday, said of Mr Trump’s Bible holding: "I just wish he opened it once in a while instead of brandishing it. If he opened it, he could have learned something."

He added: “Donald Trump has turned this country into a battlefield driven by old resentments and fresh fears. He thinks division helps him. His narcissism has become more important than the nation’s well being that he leads.

Mr Biden described Mr Trump's leadership as featuring "incompetence and anxiety, self-absorption, selfishness" and said that if he became president "I won’t traffic in fear and division. I won’t fan the flames of hate."

Later in the night military helicopters hovered over the capital’s streets. Footage showed one dropping down to rooftop level by the city centre’s office buildings as policemen attempted to get protesters off the streets.

By Tuesday afternoon Mr Trump had expressed no concern for the scenes at the White House protest. He paid a visit to the St John Paul II National Shrine, a Catholic religious site in the city, with his wife Melania.

He retweeted comments calling himself a “baller” for walking through Lafayette Square, posted “silent majority” in apparent reference to his support base and defended the behaviour of DC officers on Monday night, tweeting: “Overwhelming force. Domination”.

Some former military officers disagreed. Gen Martin Dempsey, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, tweeted that “America is not a battleground. Our fellow citizens are not the enemy.”

Republican senators largely avoided criticism. Tim Scott, the party’s only black senator, was an exception.

"Obviously, if your question is, should you use tear gas to clear a path so the president can go have a photo-op, the answer is no,” he told Politico.