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Podcast: Commonwealth Club of California Podcast
Episode: The Role of the Military in Domestic Law Enforcement—Would They Fire on Civilian Demonstrators if so Ordered?
Description: Would our troops be used to quell demonstrations in the United States with force? Seeing crowds in Washington, D.C., during the George Floyd riots in 2020, Trump is reported to have asked "Can't we just shoot them?" Â How do we answer the question as to whether the current administration will have U.S. troops fire on the crowds?
We will look at the Constitution, especially the 10th Amendment, the Insurrection Act of 1807, and the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878. We will review some history where the military has been used domestically to safeguard civil rights marchers, intervene when r...