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By The Associated Press
The White House now says more arrests are being made and homeless people are being forced to remove their tents from public spaces as federal troops and law officers deploy in Washington, D.C. to enforce President Donald Trump’s monthlong takeover of the city’s police.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer meanwhile hugged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after talks in London on Thursday in a show of support as Trump prepares for his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Both Zelenskyy and the Europeans have worried that the bilateral summit would leave them and their interests sidelined.
Here’s the Latest:
Guard will do monument security and crowd control in Washington
The Pentagon says the 800 National Guard members who have been activated in Washington will have missions that include monument security, community safety patrols and beautification efforts.
Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson also said Thursday that the troops won’t be armed.
National Guard Major Micah Maxwell added that troops will assist federal and local law enforcement in a variety of roles, including traffic control posts and crowd control. The Guard members have been trained in de-escalation tactics as well as the proper use of crowd control equipment, Maxwell said.
Wilson declined to give more details on what the safety patrols or beautification efforts would entail or how many Guard members have already been deployed to the streets of Washington.
On Thursday, troops and their Humvees are visibly stationed outside Union Station.
The White House said Thursday that Guard members aren’t making arrests but are “protecting federal assets, providing a safe environment for law enforcement officers to make arrests, and deterring violent crime with a visible law enforcement presence.”
