Attorney General William Barr is defending the aggressive federal law enforcement response to civil unrest in America, saying “violent rioters and anarchists have hijacked legitimate protests” sparked by George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police.
Barr told members of the House Judiciary Committee at a much-anticipated election year hearing Tuesday the violence taking place in Portland, Oregon, and other cities is disconnected from Floyd's killing, which he described as a “horrible” event that prompted a necessary national reckoning on the relationship between the Black community and law enforcement.
"I think it would be an oversimplification to treat the problem as rooted in some deep-seated racism generally infecting our police departments," Barr said of the treatment of African-Americans by police. "It seems far more likely that the problem stems from a complex mix of factors, which can be addressed with focused attention over time. We in law enforcement must be conscious of the concerns and ensure that we do not have two different systems of justice."
He also criticized the "demonization" of police officers, saying that it was "injurious" to public safety.
Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler says Barr has “aided and abetted” President Donald Trump’s worst impulses.
(The Associated Press, CBS News contributed to this report.)
