Here's a transcript of a June 7th interview CBS News had with US Attorney General Bill Barr.
He claims no systemic racism in law enforcement:
He strongly defends the police:
And he says that the June 1 protest was not peaceful:
Barr claims that pepper spray is NOT a chemical irritant, claims that protestors threw things on June 1 but CBS News saw nothing thrown:
Transcript: Attorney General William Barr on "Face the Nation," June 7, 2020
The following is a transcript of an interview with Attorney General William Barr that aired Sunday, June 7, 2020, on "Face the Nation."
www.cbsnews.com
He claims no systemic racism in law enforcement:
MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you believe there is systemic racism in law enforcement?
BARR: I think there's racism in the United States still but I don't think that the law enforcement system is systemically racist. I understand the- the distrust, however, of the African-American community given the history in this country. I think we have to recognize that for most of our history, our institutions were explicitly racist. Since the 1960s, I think we've been in a phase of reforming our institutions and making sure that they're in sync with our laws and aren't fighting a rearguard action to impose inequities.
He strongly defends the police:
MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you think there should be some tweaking of the rules, reduced immunity to go after some of the bad cops?
BARR: I don't think you need to reduce immunity to- to go after the bad cops, because that would result certainly in police pulling back. It's, you know, policing is the toughest job in the country. And I- and I frankly think that we have generally the vast, overwhelming majority of police are good people. They're civic minded people who believe in serving the public. They do so bravely. They do so righteously.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But the bad cops.
BARR: I- I think that there are instances of bad cops. And I think we have to be careful about automatically assuming that the actions of an individual necessarily mean that their organization is rotten. All organizations have people who engage in misconduct, and you sometimes have to be careful as for when you ascribe that to the whole organization and when it really is some errant member who isn't following the rules.
And he says that the June 1 protest was not peaceful:
MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to ask you about some of the events of the week. On Monday, Lafayette Park was cleared of protesters. You've spoken about this. The federal agents who were there report up to you. Did you think it was appropriate for them to use smoke bombs, tear gas, pepper balls, projectiles at what appeared to be peaceful protesters?
BARR: They were not peaceful protesters. And that's one of the big lies that the- the media is- seems to be perpetuating at this point.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Three of my CBS colleagues were there. We talked to them.
BARR: Yeah.
MARGARET BRENNAN: They did not hear warnings. They did not see protesters--
BARR: There were three warnings.
MARGARET BRENNAN:--throwing anything.
Barr claims that pepper spray is NOT a chemical irritant, claims that protestors threw things on June 1 but CBS News saw nothing thrown:
MARGARET BRENNAN: On Monday, you're saying there were projectiles--
BARR: On Monday, yes there were.
MARGARET BRENNAN: As I'm saying, three of my colleagues were there.
BARR: Yeah.
MARGARET BRENNAN: They did not see projectiles being thrown--
BARR: I was there.
MARGARET BRENNAN: --when that happened.
BARR: I was there. They were thrown. I saw them thrown.
MARGARET BRENNAN: There were chemical irritants the park police has said--
BARR: No, there were not chemical irritants. Pepper spray is not a chemical irritant.
It's not chemical.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Pepper spray, you're saying is what was used--
BARR: Pepper balls. Pepper balls.