[Asia Economy International Desk Reporter] As protests against the death of Black man George Floyd intensify in the United States, President Donald Trump targeted the protesters by calling them "rioters" and hinted at the possibility of deploying federal troops.
On the 30th (local time), President Trump referred to those participating in the Minneapolis protests the previous night as "rioters" in a tweet. He said, "80% of the rioters in Minneapolis last night came from outside the state," adding, "Crossing state lines to incite violence is a crime."
He also said, "The liberal governors and mayors need to get much tougher," and warned, "Otherwise, the federal government will step in and do what needs to be done. This includes utilizing the full power of our military and making mass arrests."
President Trump also used terms such as "professionally run so-called White House protesters," "Antifa," and "bad radical leftists" to describe protesters outside the White House the previous night. At Lafayette Park north of the White House, protesters gathered around 10 p.m. the previous night and clashed with Secret Service agents for over five hours before dispersing after 3 a.m. on the 30th. Due to the protests, the White House temporarily imposed a full lockdown, restricting all access.
Since the incident on the 25th in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where a white police officer pressed his knee on Floyd's neck causing his death, protests have spread nationwide and escalated into violent incidents. President Trump has repeatedly stated a tough response policy.
After President Trump requested troop support from Defense Secretary Mark Esper by phone on the 28th, the U.S. Department of Defense has instructed the Army to prepare to deploy 800 military police units to Minneapolis. The deployment of military units is based on the federal law enacted in 1807 known as the Insurrection Act. This law allows the U.S. president to deploy military forces to suppress riots or rebellions and was last used during the 1992 Los Angeles (LA) riots.
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