WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Monday night ordered military aircraft to fly above the nation’s capital as a “show of force” against demonstrators protesting the death of George Floyd, according to two Defense Department officials.
Show-of-force missions are designed to intimidate and, in combat zones, warn opposing forces of potential military actions if provoked. The officials, who insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss ongoing operations publicly, did not say how many or what type of aircraft had been mobilized.
Videos and photographs posted on social media showed helicopters flying low over buildings and hovering just above groups of people on the street who were outside despite a district-wide curfew.
On Tuesday, roughly 700 members of the 82nd had arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland and Fort Belvoir in Virginia. In addition, 1,400 more soldiers are ready to be mobilized within an hour, according to the two Defense Department officials. The soldiers are armed and have riot gear. They also have bayonets.
This is unacceptable for numerous, but what absolutely guts me is that this helicopter has Red Cross markings indicating it is a medvac bird meant for saving lives and not this. pic.twitter.com/wFL0Bzj5Lo
— Naveed Jamali (@NaveedAJamali) June 2, 2020
Meanwhile, Attorney General William P. Barr personally ordered law enforcement officials on the ground to extend the perimeter around Lafayette Square in Washington to push back protesters just before President Trump spoke Monday, a Justice Department official said.
That order came as clashes between police and the public continued to intensify, with largely peaceful daytime protests over Floyd’s death in Minneapolis police custody descending into violence and chaos after dark, amid widespread curfews and National Guard deployments.
After offering thanks Tuesday to a legion of military and law enforcement officials, including Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley, for their efforts Monday, Barr warned that “even greater law enforcement resources” would be deployed to keep the peace in D.C.
“The most basic function of government is to provide security for people to live their lives and exercise their rights, and we will meet that responsibility here in the nation’s capital,” Barr said in a statement.
In addition to military units, the attorney general referred to a long list of forces that would likely make a return appearance Tuesday night. At least a dozen agencies in all have been thrust into the mix, with more to come.
