US President Donald Trump on Sunday June 7 ordered the withdrawal of Washington National Guard soldiers, saying the situation was now under control after days of protests linked to the death of George Floyd.
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" I just ordered our National Guard to start withdrawing from Washington DC now that everything is under control, " he tweeted.
" They will go home but can quickly return if necessary. Far fewer protesters than expected yesterday (Saturday) evening! ", he added.
The National Guard is a reserve military force made up of volunteers: most of its members also work in the civilian sector. Their number was in 2020 of 450,000 across the country. Each state has its own forces, as does the District of Columbia, where the federal capital, Washington, is located. It is the governor of the state who decides to use this auxiliary force, when he considers himself facing an emergency situation, in order to "suppress insurrections and repel invasions". They can also be mobilized on external operations, as was the case in Iraq, where nearly 500 were killed. They can also be mobilized after natural disasters. They were also involved in the fight against the Covid-19 epidemic. In their missions, members of the National Guard can only intervene in support of the police force and cannot make arrests.