Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller on Monday approved a request from the mayor of Washington to send DC National Guard forces into the city to support local authorities at pro-Trump demonstrations recorded in the. town this week, a defense official told CNN.
Mayor Muriel Bowser made the request Thursday in a letter sent to Maj. Gen. William J. Walker, general-in-chief of the DC National Guard, in which she referred to protests in the city in November and December that involved “high levels of intrusion, violence and criminal activity. ”
“DCNG personnel will not have any weapons during this mission, and at no time will DCNG personnel or funds be involved in domestic investigations, investigations, or arrests of U.S. people,” Bowser wrote. , Democrat, in the letter.
DC Chief of Police Robert Contee told reporters Monday that the National Guard would help with “population management” and traffic control, freeing federal police officers from focus on acts of violence and other security issues. could be.
Speaking at a press conference Monday, Bowser called on protesters to stop violence, regardless of their political views, and again urged residents of the city area to avoid the this week, as well as “people who come here to watch out for riots.”
The mayor also said that a possible town curfew was not off the table, saying that it would be “a tool that we will evaluate during the week. “
DC’s attorney general, Karl Racine, said in a statement Monday that while DC respects freedom of speech and the right to complain, “the Constitution does not confer the right commit violence or damage property, and there is certainly no right to engage in acts. of grain. “
Racine said, “While we respect their right to complain, we will not accept criminal behavior – and we should deny them the opportunity to cause disorder.”
Bowser’s office told CNN that the plan includes the deployment of 340 guards, and that the full deployment at any given time will be at 114. The defense official said the staff will be deployed to a few dozen points on the streets, accompanied by a DC police officer at each.
The National Guard will be deployed to Metro underground stations in the city along with local officials. His focus will be primarily on metro and traffic, a spokesman for Bowser said.
A chemical-biological response team will be present if needed, the defense officer said, which is normal practice for any major incident. Finally, some members of the National Guard will be deployed only when enforced if civil law enforcement is removed to respond to a situation.