Unidentified armed men in DC spark fears of secret force to quell protesters

The appearance of unidentified armed police in military-style uniforms across Washington DC has prompted fears that the US government is deploying a secret police force to quell the protesters.

Journalists covering the unrest in Washington have in recent days documented numerous instances of heavily-armed agents with no insignia, identifying emblems or badges.

Many of the apparently federal law enforcement officers have refused to identify themselves or the agency they work for when encountered by journalists or the protesters.

“Tell us who you are, identify yourselves!” some protesters asked the mostly white policemen in military uniforms outside the White House this week.

Mass protests continue in many cities across the United States over the death of unarmed African-American George Floyd in police custody on May 25.

Floyd died after former white officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for over eight minutes during an arrest confrontation in Minneapolis. Video footage of the disturbing incident went viral on social media, fueling public anger over police brutality against African Americans. 

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Tens of thousands of people in cities across the US have waged huge rallies to protest persisting police brutality.

The emergence of military-style men in America’s capital is particularly alarming, in part, because absent identifying signs of authority, the secret force will be largely unaccountable in case of abuse of power.

Civil liberties groups and some members of Congress have voiced concerns in recent days.

"We cannot tolerate an American secret police," tweeted Senator Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut.

Senator Murphy, along with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, has introduced legislation requiring law enforcement officers to identify themselves and the federal agency they belong to.

"The United States would normally condemn this tactic if used by dictators of other countries, and its use here directly threatens our democracy," Murphy said in a statement. "Americans have a right to know who is patrolling their streets, and to have recourse if their massive power is misused."

In a letter to Attorney General William Barr on Friday, the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University argued that the emergence of unidentifiable law enforcement officials around the nation’s capital raises "grave constitutional concerns" because it has a chilling effect on the freedom of expression.

The practice, the group said, is "ordinarily associated with the security forces of rights-abusing regimes."

In addition, senior members of the House Oversight Committee wrote to the attorney general’s office on Saturday, demanding a full list of the departments and agencies that have been activated in response to the recent unrest.

President Donald Trump had planned to have 10,000 active duty troops on the streets of Washington and other cities earlier this week to crack down on protesters, but Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and Chairman of the Joint of Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley pushed back against the idea.

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Trump came close to deploying 10,000 active-duty troops to quell protests in Washington, DC.

Esper did move approximately 1,600 troops to the DC region in case the approximately 5,000 National Guard troops already deployed there needed assistance. But the active troops began to leave Thursday night as the National Guard did not ask for backup.

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