War weapons used to quell riots
Killing machines could result in more casualties: expert
The US has turned to a wide selection of weapons originally intended for war in an attempt to quell the rampant riots triggered by the death of African American George Floyd, a move that shows US authorities’ inability to handle the situation and which could lead to more casualties, Chinese experts said.
Since the start of the protests, more than 17,000 members of the US National Guard have been mobilized in 23 states and Washington DC to strengthen law enforcement against protesters. Added to some 45,000 National Guard members called to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak, this brings the total number to 66,700, CNN reported on Tuesday. The Pentagon has also ordered active-duty military police from the XVIII Airborne Corps to the DC area, US military news website military.com reported on Monday.
Some Chinese netizens and media were surprised to see that US troops had also brought in heavy weapons of war with them against the protesting civilians, prompting many to ask, “Is this too much?”
Some of the most frequently seen heavy equipment in the US protest control operations were armored vehicles, including RC-31 mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles, M1117 armored security vehicles and Humvees equipped with M153 weapon stations, as identified by Chinese media thepaper.cn on Wednesday.
Many of the vehicles, like the RC31, were developed to fight against terrorists, and are widely used in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. Even US netizens slammed their deployment, saying this was an overreaction and has turned the US into the Middle East. Some netizens also questioned, “Is this in Washington DC or Baghdad?”
Beijing-based military expert Wei Dongxu said that US troops feared that less fortified vehicles may not be able to protect them when protesters throw stones or explosives at them, so they chose to use armored vehicles, and could also be hoping that these powerful weapons serve as deterrents.
A Predator B drone affiliated with US Customs and Border Protection was dispatched during the protest in Minneapolis, Daily Mail reported.
While this particular Predator drone was not armed, it can use its advanced optic devices to ascertain the protesters’ distribution and marching direction and provide information to ground troops, Wei said.
The deployment of lethal weapons has also led to casualties. A soldier with the Minnesota National Guard fired his weapon on Sunday night at a moving vehicle in Minneapolis as street protests turned violent, US military newspaper Stars and Stripes reported on Monday.
Wei said the use of weapons of war could further incite protesters’ hostility and hatred, prompting them to take even more aggressive actions.
Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations of the China Foreign Affairs University, said that the use of armed forces could deteriorate the situation and bring about more casualties. Dispatching the military and weapons showed that both the federal and state governments are incapable of handling the current situation, since the anti-racism protests have touched a long-standing nerve in US society and the authorities chose to respond with an iron fist, Li said.