Smoke and tear gas surround a protester in Los Angeles on June 7, 2025, amid confrontations between immigration rights advocates and law enforcement personnel. Taurat Hossain/Anadolu via Getty Images

From Kent State to Los Angeles, using armed forces to police civilians is a high‑risk strategy

As President Trump sends National Guard troops to Los Angeles, a military historian explains why crowd control is one of the Guard’s most challenging and dangerous missions.

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