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The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
I walked streets of Washington and saw scenes straight from disaster movie after terrifying breakdown in law and order
THE armoured vehicles were stationed in position, troops in combat fatigues buzzed around and temperatures headed towards 33C. But this wasn't a scene from Iraq or Afghanistan. We were standing in Washington DC, the birthplace of American democracy. 4 The Lincoln Memorial monument now serves as a backdrop to row after row of tents where homeless people are massed Credit: James Breeden for The Sun 4 Some were lying comatose on the floor unable to wake up Credit: James Breeden for The Sun Advertisement Donald Trump's decision to send in the National Guard was met with outrage, but a tour of the capital's streets by The Sun revealed, in just one single night, a terrifying breakdown in law and order. Washington's Lincoln Memorial is such a symbol of America that it features on the five-dollar bill. But the monument now serves as a backdrop to row after row of tents where homeless people are massed in a camp which looks like the cross-Channel migrant 'jungle' in Calais. Rubbish was strewn everywhere, and the occupants were clearly in it for the long haul. One had even somehow set up a washing machine. Advertisement READ MORE ON WASHINGTON DC NO-GO ZONE Washington will be besieged by riots if Trump wins or loses, says security chief Under a nearby bridge, mattresses and glass beer bottles lay scattered everywhere. Piercing scream I have never seen so many homeless in a city. Within 30 seconds of arriving at the world-famous Union Station, I was confronted by a woman lying on the floor, with her trousers falling down. More rows of homeless were slumped outside a library just a street away from the White House, and they took no heed of Trump's warning – telling me: 'We are never leaving.' Advertisement Some had been smoking what they told me was super-strength cannabis, and were lying comatose on the floor unable to wake up. A security guard at a nearby Hilton hotel said: 'You think this is crazy? You should have seen it last week. There was a shooting nearby.' Five US cities where Donald Trump could next launch militarized crime crackdown as DC launch exposes Democrat failures He claimed that at the weekend, kids go to party and take fentanyl – a drug said to be more dangerous than heroin – on the rooftop of a nearby hotel. Its swimming pool sits a matter of yards from the Capitol, home of America's parliament. One such get-together ended in a shooting – and when I left town the killer was still on the loose. Advertisement Not far away was a posh restaurant where the cheapest glass of wine will set you back 15 dollars. But diners peering through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows can see the canvas of a tent and half a dozen homeless people shouting and swearing. Locals say they are a group out of their minds on crack cocaine. One man verbally abused me as he held a sign condemning 'the human race' and another was seen shouting at a little girl that she was a 'b***h', because she didn't give him a dollar. Suddenly, there was a piercing scream and a woman had been knocked over by a speeding car. Advertisement Later, in scenes straight from a Hollywood disaster movie, we witnessed hundreds of FBI officers being briefed at a base near one of Washington's most dangerous neighbourhoods, Anacostia. One by one, their cars left the centre in dramatic fashion. That evening's mission: A crackdown on 'bloodthirsty criminals'. We attempted to take a leaf out of the FBI's book and venture into the neighbourhood ourselves but swiftly realised that was a bad idea, as masked gangs loitered on the streets looking for trouble. As we cruised back to town, we spotted six blacked-out SUVs full of Drug Enforcement Administration officers armed with machine guns stopping a car and arresting a wrong 'un. Another man was half-naked and trying to dance with scared tourists Scarlet Howes A crazed man sat in just his underpants at a bus stop he had turned into a makeshift home, and was terrifying people. Advertisement A woman coming home from work was so scared she jumped on the wrong bus just to escape from him. He had taken fentanyl and, when he saw us, put his middle finger up. Another man was half-naked and trying to dance with scared tourists who just wanted to see the city's famous landmarks. It seemed the men who Trump called 'drugged-out maniacs' were lurking around almost every corner. And his plan was in full force, as nearly every street had a police car parked up, or a special agent. Advertisement There were too many of them to count. 4 The Sun's Scarlet speaks to a homeless man in the city centre Credit: James Breeden for The Sun
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
I walked streets of Washington and saw scenes straight from disaster movie after terrifying breakdown in law and order
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE armoured vehicles were stationed in position, troops in combat fatigues buzzed around and temperatures headed towards 33C. But this wasn't a scene from Iraq or Afghanistan. We were standing in Washington DC, the birthplace of American democracy. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 The Lincoln Memorial monument now serves as a backdrop to row after row of tents where homeless people are massed Credit: James Breeden for The Sun 4 Some were lying comatose on the floor unable to wake up Credit: James Breeden for The Sun Donald Trump's decision to send in the National Guard was met with outrage, but a tour of the capital's streets by The Sun revealed, in just one single night, a terrifying breakdown in law and order. Washington's Lincoln Memorial is such a symbol of America that it features on the five-dollar bill. But the monument now serves as a backdrop to row after row of tents where homeless people are massed in a camp which looks like the cross-Channel migrant 'jungle' in Calais. Rubbish was strewn everywhere, and the occupants were clearly in it for the long haul. One had even somehow set up a washing machine. READ MORE ON WASHINGTON DC NO-GO ZONE Washington will be besieged by riots if Trump wins or loses, says security chief Under a nearby bridge, mattresses and glass beer bottles lay scattered everywhere. Piercing scream I have never seen so many homeless in a city. Within 30 seconds of arriving at the world-famous Union Station, I was confronted by a woman lying on the floor, with her trousers falling down. More rows of homeless were slumped outside a library just a street away from the White House, and they took no heed of Trump's warning – telling me: 'We are never leaving.' Some had been smoking what they told me was super-strength cannabis, and were lying comatose on the floor unable to wake up. A security guard at a nearby Hilton hotel said: 'You think this is crazy? You should have seen it last week. There was a shooting nearby.' Five US cities where Donald Trump could next launch militarized crime crackdown as DC launch exposes Democrat failures He claimed that at the weekend, kids go to party and take fentanyl – a drug said to be more dangerous than heroin – on the rooftop of a nearby hotel. Its swimming pool sits a matter of yards from the Capitol, home of America's parliament. One such get-together ended in a shooting – and when I left town the killer was still on the loose. Not far away was a posh restaurant where the cheapest glass of wine will set you back 15 dollars. But diners peering through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows can see the canvas of a tent and half a dozen homeless people shouting and swearing. Locals say they are a group out of their minds on crack cocaine. One man verbally abused me as he held a sign condemning 'the human race' and another was seen shouting at a little girl that she was a 'b***h', because she didn't give him a dollar. Suddenly, there was a piercing scream and a woman had been knocked over by a speeding car. Later, in scenes straight from a Hollywood disaster movie, we witnessed hundreds of FBI officers being briefed at a base near one of Washington's most dangerous neighbourhoods, Anacostia. One by one, their cars left the centre in dramatic fashion. That evening's mission: A crackdown on 'bloodthirsty criminals'. We attempted to take a leaf out of the FBI's book and venture into the neighbourhood ourselves but swiftly realised that was a bad idea, as masked gangs loitered on the streets looking for trouble. As we cruised back to town, we spotted six blacked-out SUVs full of Drug Enforcement Administration officers armed with machine guns stopping a car and arresting a wrong 'un. Another man was half-naked and trying to dance with scared tourists Scarlet Howes A crazed man sat in just his underpants at a bus stop he had turned into a makeshift home, and was terrifying people. A woman coming home from work was so scared she jumped on the wrong bus just to escape from him. He had taken fentanyl and, when he saw us, put his middle finger up. Another man was half-naked and trying to dance with scared tourists who just wanted to see the city's famous landmarks. It seemed the men who Trump called 'drugged-out maniacs' were lurking around almost every corner. And his plan was in full force, as nearly every street had a police car parked up, or a special agent. There were too many of them to count. 4 The Sun's Scarlet speaks to a homeless man in the city centre Credit: James Breeden for The Sun
New York Post
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Anti-Jeff Bezos protesters unfurl huge ‘1% ruins the world' banner as A-listers arrive for his ‘wedding of the century'
Furious anti-Jeff Bezos protestors brandished a banner screaming 'the 1% ruins the world' on Thursday as the rich and famous started arriving in Venice, Italy, for the billionaire's lavish wedding. One activist was spotted scaling a flagpole in front of the Saint Mark's Basilica to unfurl the huge anti-rich banner as the three-day wedding extravaganza kicked off. Cops hauled away at least one in a wheelchair. A protester being detained by police in Venice after scaling a flagpole in front of the Saint Mark's Basilica Thursday. James Breeden for NY Post The scenes unfolded as VIP guests — including Oprah Winfrey and Kim and Khloe Kardashian — started pouring into the city for Bezos' nuptials with Lauren Sanchez. Some 200 A-listers from Hollywood, politics and finance are expected to attend what's been dubbed 'wedding of the century.' As the protests continued, a gleeful Bezos was pictured waving from a water taxi as he and his bride-to-be arrived at the Aman Hotel on the Grand Canal flanked by two security boats. With an estimated price tag of roughly $46 million, the wedding has drawn a spattering of protests by groups and local residents who have fumed the event is a sign of the growing disparity between the haves and have-nots. One activist was spotted scaling a flagpole in front of the Saint Mark's Basilica to unfurl the huge anti-rich banner as the three-day wedding extravaganza kicked off. James Breeden for NY Post Dubbed the 'No Space for Bezos' movement — a play on words referring to his bride-to-be's controversial space flight — rallygoers have unfurled a slew of anti-Bezos banners on iconic Venetian sites in recent days. Local activists have already signaled they'll be staging a more organized protest for Saturday as they aim to obstruct access to canals to prevent guests from reaching the wedding venue. 'It will be a strong, decisive protest, but peaceful,'' Federica Toninello, one of the activists, said. 'We want it to be like a party, with music, to make clear what we want our Venice to look like.'
