Trump threatens to send in army
Policemen clash with protesters across cities; over 5,000 people arrested; US president’s threat of deploying soldiers sparks fierce debate
At least six police officers were shot at during violent protests over the death of George Floyd, an African-american man in police custody, hours after US President Donald Trump threatened he would deploy the military if the ongoing unrest does not stop.
Protests and clashes took place in more than 40 US cities as four American policemen were shot at in St Louis and one each in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. In another escalatory incident, an SUV hit two officers at a protest in Buffalo, New York, which slapped a curfew as looters hit luxury stores.
Thousands marched in Sydney on Tuesday in solidarity with US protests as demonstrators from Australia to Europe identified with the cause of the protests and urged their own governments to address racism and police violence. Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam criticised the “double standards” of foreign governments over national security matters.
Trump said on Monday that he had asked state officials to deploy military reservists of the National Guard in “sufficient numbers to dominate the streets”. If a state official refuses, he said, “I will deploy the US military and quickly solve the problem for them”.
“I want the organisers of this terror to be own notice that you will face severe criminal penalties and lengthy sentences in jail,” the US president threatened, adding that he had ordered “swift and decisive action” to bring the situation under control in Washington, DC as National Guard troops moved on protesters outside the White House.
Trump’s threat to deploy soldiers sparked a debate about whether he had legal authority to do so. Under the Insurrection Act, a law that is over 200 years old, the US president can deploy the military on American soil to deal with civil disorder, insurrection or rebellion.
Flash-bang bombs, tear gas shells and rubber bullets were used to disperse a peaceful demonstration from a side of the White House facing Lafayette Square Park. More than 5,000 people were arrested from around the country.
On Tuesday night, the BBC reported that the White House had “asked about taking over Washington, DC police”.
Trump administration officials had reportedly considered the idea of taking over the capital city’s police force, according to an official in the city mayor’s office.