2 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Independent
The Irish Independent's View: Troops on the streets is a chilling moment for US democracy
He passionately believed change must be pursued without recourse to mob rule, even though he was often a victim of it.
'The limitation of riots, moral questions aside, is that they cannot win and their participants know it,' he said. 'Hence, rioting is not revolutionary but reactionary, because it invites defeat. It involves an emotional catharsis, but it must be followed by a sense of futility.'
As protests over immigration raids spread to cities across the US, including Los Angeles, Chicago and Milwaukee, the danger of explosive clashes intensifies.
Immigration Control and Enforcement (Ice) officers are said to have been given a quota of 3,000 arrests a day. Having National Guard troops and Marines deployed on city streets seems peculiarly un-American. And after five nights of demonstrations, California's Democratic governor Gavin Newsom has accused US president Donald Trump of misusing his power by mobilising troops. He has warned other states to prepare for similar unrest.
Rioting has to be condemned, but many Americans believe the deployment was unnecessary, and calling in a Marine battalion as back-up could be inflammatory and provocative. Instead of de-escalating tensions, Mr Trump seems intent on confrontation. The president has vowed to 'liberate' Los Angeles, but has been accused by Mr Newsom of an attack on democracy.
'Democracy is under assault right before our eyes. This moment we have feared has arrived,' he said.
We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now
This Saturday, Washington will stage a military parade to coincide with the US army's 250th anniversary. It also happens to be Mr Trump's 79th birthday.
Coming as it does a week after Mr Trump put the National Guard on the streets of LA – the first time in six decades a president has done so – in defiance of the state governor makes the situation extremely fraught.
Mr Trump has exulted in his role as enforcer-in-chief in his less than 200 days in the White House.
Steamrolling over institutions and legal norms, he has obliterated opponents. Many would prefer to see a less aggressive response to protests.
Mr Newsom has appealed to the courts to become more involved. The fear is that the sovereignty of citizens is being undermined. There is also a worry Mr Trump could invoke the Insurrection Act, which would free National Guard units to suppress civil disorder.
Using troops against US citizens could provoke a backlash. Deportations should follow due process and the rule of law, but putting soldiers on the streets to confront civilians is not something we are accustomed to seeing in the world's showcase for democracy.
Dr King believed a riot was the 'language of the unheard', but his faith lay in unity. As he said: 'We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now.'
It falls to Mr Trump to take care it does not capsize.
