It is unlikely that George Floyd protesters will be met by members of the National Guard in the streets, Defense One reports.
President Donald Trump tweeted he would call in the National Guard to “get the job done right” if Minneapolis officials couldn’t get violent protests over the death of a black man by a white police officer under control.
And while the National Guard has been activated in over a dozen states, as well as the District of Columbia, to help quell the ongoing civil unrest, the agency told Defense One that units are not being deployed directly to areas experiencing violence. Instead, they are providing more of a supporting role.
National Guard leaders said guards will be sent to patrol areas that are typically protected by local police. That means you may see a National Guard member guarding a municipal government building that has been targeted by protesters or a local hospital. They also said units may assist in transporting people who have been arrested by local police to jail.
The National Guard’s presence will allow local law enforcement officials to put more attention on the protests.
Trump praised the National Guards's response to helping shut down violent protests in Minneapolis over the weekend on Twitter.
The National Guard told Defense One it had not used any force over the weekend, but declined to discuss what types of can or could be used to help local law enforcement keep the peace during protests that turn violent.
“This is categorically a mission I don’t like doing. Of all the missions I’m asked to do, this is one on the bottom of my list,” said Air Force Maj. Gen. Michael A. Loh, Adjutant General of the Colorado National Guard. “The situation, circumstances called for it.”
When asked about a viral video showing what looks like a National Guard Humvee driving down a street in the Whittier neighborhood of Minneapolis followed by a group of local police officers, who shot paint cannisters at people standing on their porches, Army Maj. Gen. Jon Jensen, the Adjutant General of the Minnesota National Guard, told reporters, the person is not wearing the right uniform to be a member of the National Guard. He did not comment on the vehicle.
“It is very easy for me to look at video and tell you that is not a Minnesota National Guardsman,” he told reporters. “The uniform worn by that person is not worn by the U.S. National Guard.”
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