FILE PHOTO: U.S. Attorney General William Barr awaits the arrival of President Donald Trump to addresses the coronavirus response daily briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., March 23, 2020. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Attorney General William Barr said on Saturday “outside radicals and agitators” have hijacked protests in U.S. cities over the death of an unarmed black man in police custody in Minneapolis.
“Groups of outside radicals and agitators are exploiting the situation to pursue their own separate and violent agenda,” Barr said in an on-camera statement.
“It is a federal crime to cross state lines or use interstate facilities to incite or participate in violent rioting and we will enforce those laws,” he added.
Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Tim Ahmann