(Bloomberg) — Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe is activating National Guard troops to support local law enforcement, joining Texas in turning to military personnel ahead of nationwide protests on Saturday against President Donald Trump.
The Missouri deployment may be needed to maintain order in cities such as St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield, the Republican governor said in an executive order. Kehoe, who also declared a state of emergency, didn’t specify how many troops would be called into service.
“While other states may wait for chaos to ensue, the state of Missouri is taking a proactive approach in the event that assistance is needed to support local law enforcement in protecting our citizens and communities,” he said in a statement. “We respect, and will defend, the right to peacefully protest, but we will not tolerate violence or lawlessness in our state.”
A day of “No Kings” protests is planned for Saturday, with organizers estimating that rallies large and small will take place at almost 2,000 locations around the country. The same day, Trump is holding a military parade in Washington.
In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott, who is also a Republican, said earlier this week he would deploy National Guard troops to ensure order. His office later announced that the state will send 5,000 National Guard soldiers and 2,000 state troopers to assist local authorities.
The president recently ordered National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines to Los Angeles amid protests spurred by escalating immigration raids. California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, has called the move unconstitutional and politically driven, and is challenging it in court.
In a press conference Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said officials are “pre-deploying assets” in anticipation of political unrest.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a Senate hearing earlier this week that the government would be able to send military personnel to other states if needed.
“Part of it is getting ahead of a problem so that if there are other riots in places where law enforcement officers are threatened, we would have the capability to surge National Guard there if necessary,” he said.
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