National Guard troops appear in Washington DC as mayor rejects ‘authoritarian push’.
US National Guard troops have begun to appear on the streets of Washington, DC, a day after President Donald Trump deployed them and took control of the city’s police force, claiming that violent crime was out of control.
On Tuesday evening, armoured vehicles were spotted in urban centres and tourist destinations throughout the United States capital.
Officials anticipate the deployment of 800 National Guard troops and 500 federal law enforcement agents.
The troop deployment was described as a “authoritarian push” by Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat who has denied that crime is out of control in her city.
Trump, a Republican, has also threatened similar deployments against New York and Chicago, both Democratic-controlled cities.
Camouflaged troops have been trickling into the US capital since Trump’s announcement on Monday. They have been seen erecting barricades outside several government buildings and photographing tourists.
According to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, federal agents arrested twenty-three people on Monday night. The agents assist local law enforcement.
She stated that the arrests were for homicide, gun possession, drug dealing, lewd acts, stalking, reckless driving, and other offences. “This is only the beginning,” Leavitt stated.
“Over the course of the next month, the Trump administration will relentlessly pursue and arrest every violent criminal in the District who breaks the law, undermines public safety, and endangers law-abiding Americans.”
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