The National Guard is coming to Sacramento. What can the troops do at a domestic protest?
Thousands of California National Guard troops are on “standby” as the state braces for more protests over law enforcement killings of black men, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday.
He has already deployed about 500 citizen soldiers to Los Angeles and hundreds more are expected to arrive in Sacramento, where they are supporting local law enforcement agencies. More cities could follow depending on requests from mayors and other leaders, Newsom said.
The troops — usually driving military vehicles and wearing Army uniforms — will change the appearance of law enforcement at protests. But what can the National Guard do to help when it’s deployed for domestic unrest?
Its soldiers and airmen can’t make arrests — that’s up to local law enforcement — but they can act as extra bodies to guard areas and, hopefully, deter violence.
Retired Army Lt. Col. Fred Wellman, who runs ScoutComms, an advocacy group for military members, veterans and their families, said using the National Guard as defense was a smart move.
“There’s a role for the National Guard in guarding facilities, but they shouldn’t be marched down the street clubbing people,” Wellman said.
Both peaceful protests and riots have broken out across California and the nation after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on the neck of George Floyd, a black man, for almost nine minutes during an arrest, killing him on May 25.
Governors and mayors have struggled with how to deal with protests, wanting to not only avoid escalating non-violent demonstrations but also address widespread looting and vandalism that threatens businesses in their cities. Thousands of National Guard troops have been called up because of rioting, from Seattle to Minneapolis.
Brian Ferguson, a spokesman for California’s Office of Emergency Services, told McClatchy on Monday that the California National Guard had specific duties to help Los Angeles’ local law enforcement.
“The Guard’s responsibilities during this mission includes logistics, aviation support, security at cleared areas and protection of critical infrastructure,” Ferguson said. “The National Guard is operating in a unified command with local law enforcement in Los Angeles.”
Soldiers in the National Guard are not authorized to make arrests like local law enforcement. Their purpose, when called in to help with civil unrest, is to provide more manpower and defense to aid police.
The National Guard has a story of being deployed for domestic unrest, from helping to integrate schools in Arkansas and Alabama, to quelling the riots that engulfed Los Angeles in 1992 after four police officers were found not guilty of criminal charges in the beating of Rodney King, a black driver.
National Guard soldiers were also called up during Vietnam-era protests. In 1970, Ohio National Guard soldiers opened fire at a protest Kent State University, killing four.
President Donald Trump, in a call with governors and mayors Monday, reportedly told governors “you have to use the military” and instructed them to “dominate.” He also described the situation as a “war” and said the Guard was ready to “fight like hell,” according to audio posted by The Washington Post.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who is a 24-year veteran of the National Guard, told Trump on the call that he should emphasize that the National Guard is not an “occupying force.”
“You need to get out from a (public relations) perspective and make sure that it’s not seen as an occupying force but it’s their neighbors – school teachers, business owners, those types of thing,” Walz said.
Trump responded that that was a good idea, but then added: “I would say that things got so bad a few nights ago that people wouldn’t have minded an occupying force. I wish we had an occupying force in there.”
The National Guard’s primary training is for wartime. Its troops receive some training in civil unrest, Wellman said, but it’s not their primary purpose.
That makes it even more urgent for government leaders to project calm before the National Guard gets involved in further protests, rather than use language like Trump’s on that call, according to Wellman.
“I’m really concerned when I hear things like that,” Wellman said.
“The Guard can back fill, secure, provide traffic control, escort ambulances, escort fire engines — there are good missions that they’re good at,” he added. “But if we’re talking about engaging in direct assault with people who are protesting, I think that’s a recipe for violence that does nothing to solve the situation.”
This story was originally published June 1, 2020 at 4:02 PM.
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