Soldiers in Fort Carson, in Colorado, and Fort Riley in Kansas have been told to be ready within 24 hours. The U.S. President asked Mr. Esper for rapid deployment options if the Minneapolis protests continued to spiral out of control, according to one of the people — senior Pentagon official who was on the call. Units at Fort Drum are slated to head to Minneapolis first, according to the three people, including two Defence Department officials. Protests erupted in Minneapolis this week after video emerged showing a police officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz ordered 500 of his National Guard troops into Minneapolis, St. Paul, and surrounding communities.

Source: The Hindu May 30, 2020 06:15 UTC