Hans Rustad 
Aktivister forsøker å velte statuen av Albert Pike i Texas på dagen for befrielsen av slavene, 19. juni. Foto: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters/Scanpix
Trump har gitt føderale myndigheter rett til å arrestere enhver person som ødelegger eller vandaliserer et monument på offentlig eiendom. Straffen vil være på opptil 10 års fengsel.
Vedtaket trer i kraft øyeblikkelig og kan også brukes retroaktivt.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he’s authorized the federal government to arrest any person who vandalizes or destroys a monument or other federal property.
The wrongdoers will face up to 10 years in prison, Trump said in a social media statement.
“This action is taken effective immediately, but may also be used retroactively for destruction or vandalism already caused. There will be no exceptions!” the president said.
Trumps vedtak kom like etter at han tvitret at han ville pålegge også lokale myndigheter å beskytte monumenter.
“It’s a disgrace. Remember, some of this is great artwork. This is magnificent artwork, as good as there is anywhere in the world, as good as you see in France, as good as you see anywhere. It’s a disgrace. Most of these people don’t even know what they’re taking down,” Trump said.
“We are going to do an executive order and we’re going to make the cities guard their monuments. This is a disgrace,” Trump added.
Aktivistene har vandalisert en statue av Mahatma Gandhi og revet ned en statue av general Ulyssus S. Grant som var den som vant borgerkrigen for Nordstatene.
Trump sa vandalene ikke aner hva de forskjellige personene står for.
Trump påpekte at tyve av tyve urolige byer er Demokratisk styrte. Demokratene har ansvaret og de jatter med aktivistene.
“It’s all Democrats, usually liberal Democrats. Take a look. Whether it’s Chicago, it’s Democrat, Seattle, it’s Democrat. The state of Washington. It’s Democrat. Portland, it’s Democrat. All of these places are run by Democrats. Twenty out of 20 are Democrat-run,” the president said.
“They don’t know what they’re doing. And if [Joe] Biden got in, this country would be a disaster.”
Meningsmålinger viser et solid flertall for å beholde selv statuer over personer knyttet til Sørstatene. 44 mot 32 prosent.
One of the latest polls, from Morning Consult, found 44 percent support keeping Confederate statues in particular. Thirty-two percent of respondents said the statues should be removed.
Trump Authorizes Federal Government to Arrest Anyone Who Vandalizes, Destroys Statues
