Posted on Jan 25, 2017
Should the US military be used to enforce law and order and quell the protests against President Trump?
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Edit: I posted this as a little experiment. There was a similar discussion asking whether American soldiers would fire on American citizens due to the riots that were taking place. I had responded that the Posse Comitatus prohibited that, much like many of you did. However, I was unconvinced that most of the respondents "No's" had to do with an obligation to their fellow citizens and more to do with their dislike of the Obama administration. I hypothesized that it was the latter and posted this question to test that theory. Turns out you all pleasantly surprised me and proved me wrong. Thank you for that. I'm sure this post will continue to generate discussion though.
Martial Law
Office of the President (POTUS)
Protest
Law Enforcement
Edited 9 y ago
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 82
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No to U.S. military use for law enforcement and to quell protest against President Trump.
Riots are a criminal act and not a legal form of protest. Civilian law enforcement officers
should be used to stop riots and make arrest. State national guard use if necessary to assist
law enforcement officers. Having said that I can think of two incidents where U.S. Army soldiers
were used against civilians. July 1932 in Washington D.C. when President Herbert Hoover ordered
the army to remove 17,000 World War I veterans and their supporters from their protest site.
July 1967 in Detroit, Michigan when President Lyndon Johnson ordered paratroopers from the
82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions to Detroit to assist civilian law enforcement and the state
national guard during the riots in Detroit. When rioters use firearms in attempt to kill police
officers, national guard or as noted above U.S. Army soldiers there is a response of deadly force.
Riots are a criminal act and not a legal form of protest. Civilian law enforcement officers
should be used to stop riots and make arrest. State national guard use if necessary to assist
law enforcement officers. Having said that I can think of two incidents where U.S. Army soldiers
were used against civilians. July 1932 in Washington D.C. when President Herbert Hoover ordered
the army to remove 17,000 World War I veterans and their supporters from their protest site.
July 1967 in Detroit, Michigan when President Lyndon Johnson ordered paratroopers from the
82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions to Detroit to assist civilian law enforcement and the state
national guard during the riots in Detroit. When rioters use firearms in attempt to kill police
officers, national guard or as noted above U.S. Army soldiers there is a response of deadly force.
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MSG Mamerto Perez
SPC Woody Bullard, you forgot Little Rock, Arkansas to help the black Students attend the Public Schools that were not secreted.
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SPC Woody Bullard
MSG Mamerto Perez - Yes, I did not think of 1957 when President Eisenhower ordered the military into Little Rock to enforce the federal court order. I should have remembered that date. Thank you for the reminder.
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We have various Police Forces to deal with unrest and riots. For incidents that require more force, the Governors of each State have the authority to request the aid of the National Guard, barring that the active duty forces can only respond when so ordered by the Commander in Chief. Regardless how one feels about the CIC, there are many very good reasons to keep the regular armed forces out of the business of law enforcement.
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No, it would be illegal. Posse Comitatus. Governors, however can call out the National Guard. If the protesters broke through into airport secure/clean areas, the Guard might be the only option.
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No way they should not be used in protest. Protest are an important part of our society. It is a part of our freedom and being able to share our views even against the president. I think some people forget the president in reality works for us.
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Absolutely not. Any president that uses the military to stop protestss nothing more than a dictator and any military that would fire on its citizens should be be prosecuted
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My answer is no that is what the National Guard is for BUT it has been done in the early 90's with the L.A. Riots. They Deployed 5th Marine Regiment to help support Law Enforcement and the National Guard I was with 3/5 at the time my Battalion did not go to L.A. because we were scheduled to fly out to Okinawa to do our 6 months pump there but the rest of 5th Marines (our sister Battalions) and Regimental HQ. were sent to L.A. I watched all on T.V. sitting on March AFB waiting for the plane's flight attendants to fly in from another state because Local ones scheduled were stuck LAX lol cRaZy shit back then too.
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I refer all to the Insurrection Act as amended. Only if the protestors reach a level of disorder approximating the riots in LA after the Rodney King Verdict and were beyond the ability of local and state governments to deal with. Oh, and at the request of the governor of states involved.
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