Minneapolis Mayor Responds to Reports, Not History
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, according to Newsweek, was quick to 'respond to reports' of soldiers being on standby for potential unrest, clarifying that no deployment had been requested or approved by his office. This careful dance around the optics of militarized domestic response is standard PR. What Newsweek conveniently omits is that discussions of deploying troops against American citizens,
particularly during protests, are not an anomaly. From the bonus army marchers in 1932 (dispersed by tanks and cavalry) to the civil rights movement, US military forces, including the National Guard, have a documented history of being used to quell dissent on American soil. Just in 1968, the National Guard was activated in multiple cities during riots, often with deadly consequences. So, while
Mayor Frey assures us no immediate deployment is planned, the underlying narrative is that the 'option' exists, and has been exercised repeatedly. Funny how the only reports that matter to mainstream media are the ones politicians can immediately debunk, rather than the historical context that explains why such 'reports' emerge in the first place.