Demonstrators in Washington D.C., attempted to topple a bronze statue of former president Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Park, near the White House on Monday (June 22), video footage posted on social media shows.
The Washington Post reported police disrupted their effort, dispersing the crowd before the statue could be damaged.
But U.S. Park police showed up at the scene and confronted the demonstrators, swinging batons at them and using pepper spray.
President Trump blasted the demonstrators on Twitter, threatening jail time for anyone attempting to damage statues that are federal property.
Protesters in various cities have toppled statues that represented the confederacy, or that have been criticized as symbols of racism in America.
