“Current, Former Leaders Wary of Using US Military in Protest Response
By VOA News
June 04, 2020 03:39 AM
Senior current and former U.S. defense officials are expressing concerns about the military being used for political purposes amid national protests against police brutality, while stressing the need for equal treatment for all Americans and upholding pledges to protect the constitutional rights of free speech and assembly.

“If we are to fulfill our obligation as service members, as Americans, and as decent human beings, we have to take our oath seriously,” said National Guard Chief Gen. Joseph Lengyel. “We cannot tolerate racism, discrimination, or casual violence.”

National Guard troops have been deployed in 31 states to assist local law enforcement responses to the protests that began a week ago with the death in police custody of African American man George Floyd.

The military’s presence is perhaps most prominent in the…