Pentagon moves about 1,600 Army troops into the Washington region

Wednesday, 03 June 2020 2:18 AM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 03 June 2020 2:19 AM ]

Protestors march past DC National Guard troops as they march through the streets during demonstrations over the death of George Floyd, who died in police custody, on June 2, 2020 in Washington, DC.

The Pentagon has moved about 1,600 US Army troops into the Washington, D.C., region, the Pentagon said on Tuesday, after several nights of violent protests in the city.

"Active duty elements are postured on military bases in the National Capitol Region but are not in Washington, D.C.," Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Rath Hoffman said in a statement.

He said the troops were on "heightened alert status" but "are not participating in defense support to civil authority operations."

Democrats call Trump a ‘dictator’ over suppression of protests

US Democratic lawmakers have lambasted President Donald Trump for his threats to use the military to suppress protests over racism and police brutality unless the states followed his recommendation.

Protests have swept US cities, including Washington, D.C., since the May 25 killing of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American who died after a white policeman pinned his neck under a knee for nearly nine minutes in Minneapolis on May 25.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.ir