U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter deployed low over D.C. to run off protesters, counterinsurgency-style

Protesters in D.C. brace themselves under military helicopters

(Image credit: Roberto Schmidt/AFP/Getty Images)

published 2 June 2020

President Trump ordered hundreds of active-duty uniformed military personnel from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to Washington, D.C., on Monday to help restore "law and order" in the capital, and said if "a city or a state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents, then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them." Trump can deploy U.S. military forces in D.C., but elsewhere he either needs the consent of the governor or he has to invoke the Insurrection Act, a 1807 law that is rarely used in modern times.

Washington's mayor set a curfew of 7 p.m., but Trump ordered federal and military police to forcibly break up a peaceful protest at Lafayette Park half an hour before curfew so he could walk to St. John's Church for photos. After curfew, Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, walked the streets of D.C. to monitor the deployment of U.S. military forces in the nation's capital.

"As scores of protesters made their way into Washington D.C.'s Chinatown district, a Blackhawk helicopter with U.S. Army markings descended to rooftop level, kicking up dirt, debris, and snapping trees that narrowly missed several people," The New York Times reports. "The maneuver, often conducted by low flying jets in combat zones to scare away insurgents, is known as a show of force." This "'show of force' snapped branches off trees and shattered some storefront windows," The Washington Post adds, citing local reporters.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.

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