On June 3, 2020, Attorney General William Barr ordered that protestors be dispursed for a photo opportunity, for the President. What happened next was chaos. Tear gas, rubber bullets, unleashed on a peaceful protest. Whether Barr knew that the peaceful protests were going to be attacked like this we dont know, we do know he gave the order, and intended protestors to be dispursed. Without his order, this would have not happened and injured peaceful protestors exercising their first amendment rights. We are calling for a full, thorough investigation into the conduct of the Attorney General in this matter, and recommend to move to disbar Barr from any or all of the jurisdictions he is permitted to practice law. In the interest of accountability in our democratic country, it is imperative that abuses of power to quell a group of people practicing their 1st amendment rights should be had. The people's right to protest and petition the government is a bedrock principle this country was founded on and, as an attorney, William Barr should know this, but he acted in defiance of this.

The Bill of Rights is a non-negotiable set of rights we as lawyers should hold essential in a free and just society. Acting in defiance to upholding these rights as an attorney should be grounds for disbarment, especially given the power the Attorney General has and the circumstances that led to abuse of this authority to infringe on other's guaranteed rights. Furthermore, AG Barr's order casts even greater doubt and distrust toward our institutions, especially the institution he is the head of. This should be of great concern for our profession, and who is allowed to represent it. We all call for the American Bar Association, New York State Bar Association, as well as any other state bar association which William Barr is allowed to practice in to review this conduct. If attorneys are able to order the gassing of peaceful protesting civilians, there must be a systemic issue in the legal system to allow someone to do something as heinous as this. These actions are repugnant and against the core tenets of the legal system and profession. We demand accountability, for AG Barr's actions, and hope that the ABA, and affiliates feel the same way as the people do. 

Reference:

https://www.vox.com/2020/6/5/21281604/lafayette-square-white-house-tear-gas-protest​

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/02/us/politics/trump-walk-lafayette-square.html