MAYOR MURIEL BOWSER SPEAKING. LET'S LISTEN IN. >> WE ARE IN THE JOHN A. WILSON BUILDING AS OUR CITY HALL. I'M JOINED BY THE CHIEF OF POLICE WHO YOU'LL HEAR FROM SHORTLY, ASSISTANT CHIEF OF POLICE, JEFFREY CAROL, AND THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR, KEVIN DONAHUE. I WANT TO BEGIN BY THANKING THE METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR THEIR EFFORTS OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS TO KEEP STUDENTS IN THE CAMPUS OF GW SAFE, MPD HAS MAINTAINED A PRESENCE AT GW THROUGHOUT THESE PROTESTS. AND THAT PRESENCE HAS ALLOWED FOR AN INFORMED AND EFFECTIVE RESPONSE. I WANT TO ALSO THANK YOU THE BROADER D.C. COMMUNITY AS TENSIONS HAVE ESCALATED ON CAMPUSES ACROSS OUR COUNTRY. OUR COMMUNITY HAS BEEN MEASURED WITH OUR WORDS AND ACTIONS AND WE HAVE DEMONSTRATED AND UPHELD OUR VALUES AND CONSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES. I WANT TO CLEAR THAT OUR RESPONSES TO DEMONSTRATIONS IS ALWAYS ROOTED IN PUBLIC SAFETY. AND CONSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITY. AND THE CHIEF AND HER TEAM ARE THE EXPERTS IN PUBLIC SAFETY AND ALWAYS HAVE THE FINAL WORD ON HOW OUR RESOURCES ARE DEPLOYED. MPD, AS YOU KNOW, YOU HEARD ME SAY, IT'S THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS AT KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE DURING THE EXERCISE OF FIRST AMENDMENT DEMONSTRATIONS. SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MPD FOR A STATEMENT AND TO TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS. CHIEF SMITH. >> THANK YOU, MAYOR BOWSER. I'M PAMELA SMITH, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS PEACEFULLY EXERCISING THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS BUT AS THE CHIEF OF POLICE I NEED TO BE AND AM ALWAYS GUIDED BY PUBLIC SAFETY. THIS SPACE HAS BEEN NO DIFFERENT WHERE I HAVE BEEN CONSTANTLY REVIEWING INFORMATION AND INTELLIGENCE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SOUND DECISIONS ABOUT THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY PROTESTS BASED ON POLICING AND PUBLIC SAFETY. SINCE THE START OF THE ENCAMPMENT ON GW'S CAMPUS ON APRIL 25th, THE METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN SUPPORTING GW IN MONITORING THE ACTIVITIES. THEY BEGAN PEACEFULLY BUT THE PAST FEW DAYS WE BEGAN TO SEE AN ESCALATION IN THE VOLATILITY OF THE PROTESTS AT GW. THIS STARTED LAST THURSDAY WHEN A GW CAMPUS POLICE OFFICER WAS PUSHED BY PROTESTERS AND AN ITEM WAS GRABBED OUT OF THE POLICE OFFICER'S HAND DURING THE PERFORMANCE OF HER DUTIES. ON MONDAY, MPD LEARNED OF MORE INDICATORS THAT THE PROTEST WAS BECOMING MORE VOLATILE AND LESS STABLE. THIS INCLUDED A SIMPLE ASSAULT REPORTED TO POLICE, PROBING OF A BUILDING, COUNTER DEMONSTRATORS WERE IN THE ENCAMPMENT AND INFORMATION THAT PROTESTERS FROM OTHER SCHOOLS WERE TRAVELING TO GW. IN ADDITION ITEMS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE USED FOR OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE WEAPONS WERE BEING GATHERED. ALL OF THIS LED TO MY DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION WE NEEDED TO CHANGE OUR POSTURE, I BRIEFED MAYOR BOWSER ON MONDAY AND WE BEGAN PREPARING FOR LAST NIGHT. OUR PLAN INCLUDED GIVING WARNINGS, AND CLEAR DIRECTION TO PEOPLE INSIDE THE ENCAMPMENT TO DISPERSE THE AREA. WE ALLOWED PROTESTERS TIME TO LEAVE THE AREA. THERE WERE SIX ANNOUNCEMENTS BEFORE OUR OFFICERS TOOK ACTION. MANY COMPLIED AND LEFT THE ENCAMPMENT AREA. THOSE WHO DID NOT COMPLY WERE ARRESTED. A TOTAL OF 33 ARRESTS WERE MADE THIS MORNING FOR CHARGES INCLUDING UNLAWFUL ENTRY, WHICH IS CALLED TRESPASSING IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS AND ASSAULT ON A POLICE OFFICER. ADDITIONAL PROTESTERS ARRIVED OUTSIDE OF OUR PERIMETER. THESE INDIVIDUALS ENGAGED OUR OFFICERS AT 20th STREET AND PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE. OUR OFFICERS DID DEPLOY PEPPER SPRAY AND SOME OF THE 33 ARRESTS WERE MADE AT THAT LOCATION. MOVING FORWARD, MPD WILL CONTINUE TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF UNIVERSITIES AND OTHER PRIVATE ENTITIES THAT NEED ASSISTANCE. BEFORE I CLOSE I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR THEIR PROFESSIONALISM THIS MORNING AND THE SERVICE THEY PROVIDED TO THE COMMUNITY IN THE PAST 13 DAYS. I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MAYOR BOWSER NOW. >> ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE CHIEF? [ INAUDIBLE QUESTION ] >> THAT'S CORRECT. [ INAUDIBLE QUESTION ] >> AFTER -- BASED ON WHAT I JUST SHARED WITH YOU AFTER THE INTELLIGENCE THAT THE -- THE INFORMATION THAT WAS SHARED WITH US AND THE SERIES OF EVENTS THAT I JUST ARTICULATED, WE MADE A DECISION ON MONDAY AFTER OTHER THINGS WERE ALSO REVEALED TO US THAT WAS HAPPENING INSIDE OF THE ENCAMPMENT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH CLEARING THE ENCAMPMENT THIS MORNING. >> YOU NOTIFY THE SCHOOL BEFOREHAND? >> WE DID. YES, SIR. HI, TOM, GOOD MORNING. [ INAUDIBLE QUESTION ] >> THEY'RE STILL BEING PROCESSED AT THIS TIME SO WE DO NOT KNOW THAT. WHAT I WILL DO, AS SOON AS I GET THAT INFORMATION WE'LL SHARE IT PUBLICALLY. LET ME START HERE AND I'LL GET WITH YOU PETER. [ INAUDIBLE QUESTION ] >> AS YOU KNOW HERE IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA WE ALLOW INDIVIDUALS TO EXERCISE THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT ACTIVITY. IN THIS PARTICULAR LOCATION WHERE THERE'S PRIVATE PROPERTY WE WILL NOT ALLOW THEM TO ENCAMP. WE'RE THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS WITH CROWD MANAGEMENT AND FOLLOW PROTOCOLS WITH RESPECT TO THAT. >> SO NO MORE PROTESTS ON THE CAMPUS OF GW. >> I CANNOT TELL YOU, THAT'S THE PRESIDENT'S DECISION TO DETERMINE IF SHE WILL ALLOW PROTESTS IN OTHER AREAS OF THE CAMPUS. BUT THE AREAS WE HAVE NOW SECURED, THERE WILL BE NO PROTESTS IN THAT AREA. PETER? [ INAUDIBLE QUESTION ] >> FOR THIS MORNING? THERE WERE MULTIPLE APR ARRESTS. THAT IS CORRECT. INSIDE THE QUAD THIS MORNING THERE WAS ONE ARREST FOR ASSAULT ON A POLICE OFFICER AND THEN OUTSIDE OF THE PERIMETER AROUND 20th AND PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE THERE WERE OTHER ARRESTS, SPECIFICALLY DUE TO ASSAULT ON A POLICE OFFICER. [ INAUDIBLE QUESTION ] >> THERE WERE 29 ARREST -- 30 ACTUALLY WITH THE ONE THAT ASSAULTED THE POLICE OFFICER, BUT 29 WERE CHARGED WITH UNLAWFUL ENTRY. [ INAUDIBLE QUESTION ] >> SOMETHING LIKE THAT. MY MATH DON'T MATH ALL THE TIME. NO SERIOUS INJURIES TO ANY OF OUR OFFICERS. WE DO NOT DETERMINE AT THIS TIME THERE WERE ANY SERIOUS INJURIES TO ANYONE WITHIN THE PUBLIC. OBVIOUSLY WE DID DEPLOY SOME PEPPER SPRAY BUT OTHER THAN THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING INJURIES. CITATION ARRESTS, THAT IS CORRECT. >> STILL BEING PROCESSED. >> THEY'RE STILL BEING PROCESSED PETER, SORRY ABOUT THAT. [ INAUDIBLE QUESTION ] >> IT DID NOT. ALL THE DECISIONS I MADE WERE BASED ON PUBLIC SAFETY. >> LET ME JUMP IN. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH CHAIRMAN COMBER THIS MORNING. AND HE EXPRESSED HIS INTEREST IN MAKING SURE THE CITY AND THE CHIEF COULD FOCUS ON THIS ONGOING OPER
