The veterans were desperate. Gen. MacArthur ordered US troops to attack them.

I get a kick out of people being upset with Federal Law enforcement being called in to stop civil unrest or to protect federal property etc. The first instance I thought of was the Whiskey Rebellion. Georgia Washington used a Federal Army to halt the Tax Rebellion. The Next one involved The Colorado National Guard along with mine owner’s militia and others called to end a coal mine strike. A camp of striking miners with there families had been set up next to a railroad track outside Ludlow Colorado. One day a train pulled up, National Guard troops and mine owner militia men got out on the Opposite side from the miners camp. Machine guns were set up and when the train pulled out machine gun fire raked the camp killing 21 men women and children. Then there was the Blair Mountain Show Down. Armed miners and militia, law enforcement etc squared of in an armed conflict. The battle raged for several days. Finally to the relief of the miners and those opposing them the military was called in and ended the battle. Between 20 to 100 people were killed. The final bit of history was when General MacArthur routed the Bonus Army encampments of World War One Vets in DC. As the Great Depression dug deep Veterans of WW1 had expected bonuses and marched on DC to force the government to give them. President Hoover’s name was attached to the shanty towns that were erected. Police tried to move against the protestors but were unsuccessful. MacArthur ordered troops to march on the protesters. By the next morning the camps were gone and the bonus Army was dispersed. The action probably cost Hoover the election. I am not condoning any action but it is a part of our history and not uncommon to use the military and federal agencies in civil unrest.