Military helicopters in Washington, D.C., on Monday used a wind-blowing tactic to disperse protest crowds, and videos posted to Twitter showed civilians shaking beneath the gusts.
- The "show-of-force" involves lowering a helicopter so close to the ground that it kicks up dirt and debris, driving targets away from the area. The N.Y. Times notes that it's often used by low-flying jets in combat zones.
The state of play: D.C. is under a 7pm curfew amid continuing protests over the death of George Floyd. Tensions have risen in the nation's capital in recent days as law enforcement has deployed tear gas and physical force to disperse often-peaceful crowds.
- President Trump has threatened to deploy military personnel nationwide if civil unrest continues.
About 10 minutes later, here it goes again. pic.twitter.com/3yoxOAu0uw
— Zolan Kanno-Youngs (@KannoYoungs) June 2, 2020
Military helicopters hover over protesters in D.C. after ‘mandatory curfew’@Dacheslow
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) June 2, 2020
pic.twitter.com/B61ygBZ6f5
Military helicopters trying to disperse protesters here in DC pic.twitter.com/md6hYVqE7u
— Katie Hill (@KatieHill4CA) June 2, 2020
