Structural Panic: Trump puts military in own cities - America on lockdown, peaceful resistance under fire

There are those moments when a country turns up the internal panic into an almost military parade. In the United States, under President Trump, that took a very tangible form this summer: thousands of National Guard soldiers are being sent to cities like Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and Chicago. Not because of an external enemy, but because domestic unrest seems to threaten them.

What is going on?

Trump, who promised to “no longer wait” to intervene militarily in crises, is now deploying the National Guard to dampen protests and unrest. Los Angeles was visited by 2,000 reservists in early June, a force normally associated with natural disasters or acute violence, and not with residents' right to demonstrate. Also in Washington D.C. and Chicago, hundreds of military personnel have been mobilised, despite opposition from local leaders who fear de-escalation and civil rights.

Formally, the military is only allowed to provide protection to federal immigration agents, for example, and not directly intervene in demonstrations - a nuance that easily blurs in the heat of the moment. And if things do go wrong, Trump can deploy the 19th-century Insurrection Act that gives the president the right to use the military in domestic unrest, a tool that has rarely been out of use since the 1990s.

Panic as policy

What is happening here is more than a military action: it is a structural panic strategy that challenges the idea of American civil rights. Not only does it curtail the right to peaceful protest, it also sends a signal that the government sees the people as potential enemies. Political unrest is followed by military threats. Structural panic? Without a doubt.

Now what?

When a president militarises the terror of the streets, where does that leave room for dialogue? While local leaders resist and promise to protect their citizens, Trump and his campaign team persist in taking the hard line. For those who believe in democracy and civil rights, this is the time to stir. Because when guns are used against domestic unrest, we all lose.