Trump has blamed antifa for violent clashes with police during George Floyd protests, but records show that he's likely wrong

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• President Donald Trump characterized those clashing with law enforcement as radical-left thugs engaging in domestic terrorism — and Attorney General William Barr backed him.
• But per a new report from The Associated Press, there is little evidence to back that claim.
• The Associated Press analyzed several sources of information, including court records, employment histories, social media posts for 217 people arrested last weekend in Minneapolis and Washington, DC.
• Most protesters that were arrested are local residents and are not affiliated with antifa, a loosely organized left-wing group of anti-fascism activists, according to the report.
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Scott Nichols, a balloon artist, was riding home on his scooter from the protests engulfing Minneapolis last weekend when he was struck by a rubber bullet fired from a cluster of police officers in riot gear.

"I just pulled over and put my hands up, because I didn't want to get killed," said Nichols, 40. "Anybody that knows me knows I wasn't out there to cause problems."

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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See Also:

• Photos show where around the world Black Lives Matter and anti-police brutality protests are erupting, from Tokyo to Amsterdam
• Trump calls himself an 'ally to all peaceful protesters' as police fire tear gas and clash with crowds in DC
• A criminology professor says that police officers accused of brutality often have a history of complaints. Derek Chauvin had 18.

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