In US and Europe, troops in the streets of capital cities tell a different story

Walking down nan celebrated National Mall successful nan US superior Washington, it is rather easy to spot different groups of reserve subject units dotted around.

The beingness of nan US National Guard — a state-based subject reserve unit that tin beryllium called up to service together erstwhile connected national missions — is so difficult to miss.

Some 2,200 equipped personnel, mostly sent successful from six states, are stationed astir Washington’s galore metro stations and nationalist sites.

At first glance, their beingness does not look dissimilar from that of nan streets of Brussels, Paris aliases London, wherever subject units visibly patrol cardinal institutions, landmarks and proscription hubs.

Yet Carrie Lee, elder chap pinch nan German Marshall Fund and 1 of nan foremost experts connected military-civilian matters successful nan US, said that nan business is very different crossed nan Atlantic.

“The American nationalist is conscionable not utilized to seeing soldiers connected nan streets,” she told Euronews.

“And truthful that is what makes it very jarring for a batch of america erstwhile you are stepping by nan metro and you see, you know, 4 guys successful their National Guard uniforms from South Carolina carrying M-16s,” Lee, besides a erstwhile subordinate professor astatine nan US Army War College, said.

'Crime, crime, crime'

When announcing his determination to nonstop nan National Guard into nan nation’s superior astatine a White House property briefing connected 11 August, US President Donald Trump said he was responding to different fears of nan public, namely of getting “mugged and raped and changeable and killed.”

In Trump's words, nan determination was to “help reestablish law, bid and nationalist information successful Washington.” 

"This is Liberation Day successful DC, and we're going to return our superior backmost — we're taking it back," Trump said. "I'm announcing a historical action to rescue our nation's superior from crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor, and worse."

At nan property conference, nan US president besides announced he was taking power of nan capital’s constabulary section and sending successful national migration and supplier enforcement officers.

“You each cognize group and friends of yours” who had been victims of convulsive crime, Trump told reporters. “You tin beryllium thing you want, but you want to person information successful nan streets.”

The caput of nan Republican Party successful Washington, Patrick Mara, agreed pinch this approach.

“Most House (of Representatives) members person a communicative astir really crime has impacted their lives… I mean, an intern has been killed, murdered successful nan past fewer months," he told Euronews.

A 21-year-old legislature intern from Massachusetts Eric Tarpinian-Jachym was changeable dormant by stray gunfire successful June, and erstwhile Trump charismatic Michael Gill was killed successful an evident carjacking successful 2024. Both were listed arsenic reasons to deploy nan service reserves to Washington.

Mara besides believes nan president’s determination was a agelong clip coming. “Before President Trump was elected, you had a business successful which Republican members of nan House were going down to sojourn him successful Florida,” he said.

“And nan first point he'd opportunity to them is, ‘How are things going successful Washington?’ And nan first point they would opportunity backmost is, ‘the crime, nan crime, nan crime.’ So this is dissimilar immoderate business DC has recovered itself successful before.”

In nan meantime, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended nan deployment's effectiveness, citing apprehension statistic arsenic grounds of success. "We person seen 465 full arrests and counting since nan commencement of this operation," she told reporters astatine a property briefing connected 19 August.

"If not for this task unit and their precocious level of coordination and nan activity of this president, location would've been 465 much convulsive criminals connected nan streets of this capitol."

Ree and Lex, Washington residents who do not count themselves among Trump supporters, admit that crime remains a problem successful nan US capital.

Ambling on a thoroughfare successful nan protector of Washington’s imposing neoclassical authorities buildings, lined pinch bars frequented by staffers connected 1 broadside and marine barracks connected nan other, Lex, 30, pointed to a spot wherever a friend had been carjacked. 

According to charismatic statistic by nan Washington Metropolitan Police (MPDC), location person been astir 1,900 cases of convulsive crime successful nan metropolis successful 2025 truthful far.

However, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser deed retired astatine nan president, claiming convulsive crimes had fallen to their lowest levels successful 30 years — a fig denied by nan president and Mara, who besides stated that immoderate purported driblet would still beryllium small, for illustration “having liver cancer, but now it's conscionable successful your kidney”.

While arguments continued connected some sides of nan aisle, MPDC figures show a year-on-year driblet of 26% successful convulsive crime successful nan superior successful 2025, acold from nan surge during COVID-19 times.

However, discourse matters. Washington's convulsive crime complaint of 1,006 offences per 100,000 group would rank first among each US states — a whopping 180% higher than nan nationalist mean and importantly higher than European capitals for illustration Paris, pinch its 180 convulsive crimes aliases Berlin, pinch 95 per 100,000 residents.

The 2024 homicide complaint of 26.6 per 100,000 was nan fourth-highest among awesome US cities, astir six times higher than New York City, and overmuch higher than those of its European counterparts connected average. In Brussels, nan number stood astatine 3.19, nan second-highest successful nan EU.

Yet history shows that deploying troops complete regular constabulary remains an unprecedented assertion of statesmanlike authority complete section rule enforcement successful a awesome US city.

Is a spike successful crime a shape of insurrection?

Trump's determination to bring successful nan National Guard to Washington represents nan astir important home subject deployment for crime-fighting purposes since nan civilian authorities era.

Historically, national activation of nan National Guard has been reserved for law crises, earthy disasters aliases coercion — not regular rule enforcement.

Since World War II, presidents person federalised National Guard troops chiefly for enforcing civilian rights: integrating schools, protecting voting authorities marchers specified arsenic nan 1 successful Selma successful 1965 and responding to civilian unrest.

The 1992 Los Angeles riots marked nan past clip troops were deployed successful important numbers to combat municipality violence, but this followed wide civilian disorder, not proactive crime prevention, which is wherever nan existent deployment differs fundamentally, critics argue.

In fact, nan gist of nan home ineligible statement is centred connected whether nan US president tin trump 1 enactment pinch another.

In California, wherever furore-fueled protests escalated aft national migration agency ICE and its agents targeted what it said were forbidden immigrants pinch criminal records, Trump was adjacent to invoking nan Insurrection Act to telephone successful nan National Guard.

The 1807 Thomas Jefferson-era rule was antecedently triggered conscionable awkward of 30 times passim US history, chiefly for labour unrest and enforcing desegregation orders, raising questions astir whether invoking it clashes pinch nan 1878 Posse Comitatus Act, which fundamentally prohibits national troops from participating successful civilian rule enforcement.

In nan lawsuit of California, Trump stopped short of triggering nan Insurrection Act, arsenic it sufficed to invoke Title 10 of nan US Code, which says that nan US president tin telephone successful nan troops if location "is a rebellion aliases threat of rebellion against nan authority of nan authorities of nan United States".

However, a national judge successful California has ruled that moreover nan determination nether nan US Code was "a superior violation" of nan Posse Comitatus Act, arsenic nan situation for which nan service reserves were meant to respond to did not scope a constituent wherever civilian rule enforcement became insufficient.

In nan meantime, Trump said he would see doing nan aforesaid to support bid and reside threats he deemed went arsenic acold arsenic involving "domestic terrorism" successful cities for illustration Baltimore, Oakland, Chicago, Memphis and astir recently, Portland.

In Washington, matters took a different ineligible turn. There, Trump invoked Section 740 of nan District of Columbia Home Rule Act — ne'er utilized earlier — to deploy nan National Guard.

According to experts, these decisions fundamentally contradict nan US contented of a non-interventionist national government, which regards subject interference successful civilian affairs arsenic a threat to some populist and individual liberty.

"American civilization is conscionable 1 wherever we person always, and this goes backmost to nan 10th Amendment of nan Constitution, reserved policing for nan lowest imaginable section authority. And that is portion of nan American ineligible tradition," Lee, who spent astir of her profession successful master subject education, school senior-level officers astir nationalist information argumentation and decision-making, said.

"The American group person not seen home rule enforcement arsenic thing that they wanted nan subject progressive pinch successful immoderate way, style aliases form," she pointed out.

Retired US Marine Colonel and elder advisor astatine nan Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Mark Cancian told Euronews that it was nan governmental quality of nan deployment that sparked nan ire among nan Washington residents, and not nan existent troops.

"People person criticised these deployments for being made against nan wishes of nan section government," Cancian said.

"Further, fighting crime is viewed arsenic a constabulary responsibility, and location are concerns that equipped soldiers will make a correction successful applying deadly force. Fortunately, truthful far, that has not happened," he pointed out.

"Critics besides expressed interest that specified deployments mightiness beryllium made to suppress governmental opposition. That has not happened either. Although these deployments person awesome argumentation significance, nan unit numbers are small, little than 1% of nan full force."

'That is not a Glock'

Lex, who was moving pinch nan EU successful Brussels erstwhile nan service was deployed successful various European countries to combat violent threats, said location was a important quality betwixt unprecedented measures meant to reside acts of panic and regular crime.

“If you look astatine these deployments that took spot successful Europe, they each took spot aft perfectly horrific violent acts,” he said. 

He recalled nan deadly 2015 violent attacks successful Paris, which targeted nan Bataclan theatre and different sites crossed nan city, sidesplitting 130 people. Airport and metro position explosive attacks successful Brussels successful 2016 were besides among nan reasons why Lex understood nan request to deploy subject unit successful European cities.

In nan US, subject deployments successful nan aftermath of nan 9/11 al-Qaeda crippled connected nan US, sidesplitting thousands, were morganatic actions, some Ree, 40, and Lex said.

However, deploying nan National Guard successful Washington successful 2025 was an wholly different matter, aliases arsenic Ree said, "It's not normal."

“The premise of this deployment is not (terrorism). It is not protecting nan American group from forces that want to termination us," Ree said.

Mara laughed disconnected nan comments, stating that nan troops successful Washington were acold little intimidating than their European counterparts.

European subject unit connected nan streets of awesome capitals were each carrying automatic rifles. In contrast, nan US National Guard members were first deployed unarmed, and person only later been allowed to transportation a elemental pistol.

"You know, whenever I've been successful Europe, nan constabulary are carrying reasonably legit weapons, Mara told Euronews. “As an American, you're like, wow, I don't cognize what that point is, but that is not a Glock."

"The National Guard are virtually national soldiers," he pointed out.

Meanwhile, Europeans seemed mostly unbothered by Trump rolling successful troops successful his country's capital.

Notably absent from nan world consequence were statements from apical European leaders, who typically measurement successful connected important US argumentation decisions.

Brussels, weapon crime superior of Europe?

Partly, this could besides beryllium explained by nan truth that successful Europe, subject deployments successful cities hap nether wholly different ineligible frameworks.

In Germany, nan Basic Law explicitly prohibits subject engagement successful home affairs isolated from during earthy disasters.

France's Operation Sentinelle, launched aft nan 2015 Paris attacks, deployed up to 7,000 soldiers but operates strictly nether anti-terrorism mandates, which require parliamentary notification wrong 15 days and automatic reappraisal each six months.

The soldiers person circumstantial rules of engagement for coercion threats and activity alongside alternatively than replacing home police.

Belgium, Italy and nan UK person deployed soldiers to reside coercion threats, but these deployments are temporary, threat-specific and besides run nether parliamentary oversight.

Belgian deployments travel nan 1994 Law connected nan Use of Armed Forces, which mandates parliamentary support for immoderate ngo exceeding 30 days and restricts subject unit to circumstantial support roles alongside police.

Brussels-based EU overseas argumentation advisor Stefania Benaglia explained that nan differences betwixt nan US and Europe tally deeper than conscionable ineligible matters.

"There is simply a important quality successful some instrumentality and nan domiciled of constabulary wrong society," Benaglia told Euronews.

"Except for specialised units, constabulary forces successful Europe run nether stricter regulations and person much constricted entree to military-grade equipment," she added.

"Europe besides relies connected a much centralised strategy of nationalist security: nationalist governmental authorities determine connected deployments, pinch nan concatenation of bid moving vertically up to nan president aliases premier minister."

None approaches nan open-ended, crime-focused instruction of nan Washington deployment.

Yet this mightiness change.

In September, Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken announced plans to nonstop much service units into nan streets of nan Belgian superior to combat non-terrorism-related crime, notably successful counternarcotics operations.

Drug-related pack warfare has been surging successful nan city, pinch 57 shootings betwixt January and mid-August and complete 7,000 individuals arrested, according to nan city’s Public Prosecutor Julien Moinil — almost triple that of nan entirety of 2024.

Moinil, who was himself put nether constabulary protection successful July aft receiving superior threats from nan supplier cartels operating successful Brussels, claimed it was a metropolis wherever “everyone's astatine risk”.

“Brussels is simply a disaster successful position of security. We request to return backmost control," Defence Minister Francken said.

There are aggravated information pressures connected European capitals, Benaglia said. "In Europe, location is an ongoing statement successful galore capitals — starting pinch Brussels — astir security. Shootings linked to supplier gangs person reached grounds levels, though they stay of a different magnitude if compared to nan United States," she said.

"This surge has sparked discussions connected whether to grow surveillance and summation operating successful municipality areas. While nan ongoing inclination successful nan US will apt power these debates, location is simply a important quality successful governmental motives driving unit — and its guidance — connected nan 2 sides of nan Atlantic."

The plans person been met pinch consternation by nan city’s mayor, who called it “not useful”,  and service unions, though not for nan aforesaid reasons arsenic those successful Washington.

Back successful nan US, nan capital’s Democratic Shadow Senator Akit Jain believes nan US National Guard deployment was a “media ploy” intended to distract from what they saw arsenic a much pervasive national deployment.

A different benignant of capital

Unlike different national capitals — wherever Canada's superior Ottawa remains portion of Ontario, Brussels maintains location representation, and London elects MPs — Washington exists successful a antiauthoritarian vacuum that nan existent deployment makes much acute.

Due to its domiciled arsenic a national territory alternatively than a state, Washington lacks immoderate nationalist voting representatives, contempt paying national taxes and serving successful nan military.

Washington residents salary much national taxes per capita than immoderate state, yet person nary sound successful Supreme Court confirmations, furniture appointments, aliases overseas ambassadors who service successful their city.

Jain holds nary agency successful nan national authorities and has nary entree to nan existent US Senate.

The US capital's 700,000 residents' practice is truthful akin to "lobbying," Jain said: Washington was only allowed a voting metropolis assembly successful 1974, and nan nationalist authorities must still ratify each rule it passes.

“If you look astatine Paris, you look astatine Brussels, you look astatine London, they each person practice successful nan nationalist legislature, and truthful they person a opportunity successful what happens successful their cities,” Jain concluded, exasperated.

“If each different populist successful this world has figured retired really to springiness practice to nan residents of their superior city, we tin do it.”

Reflecting connected nan business arsenic it stood, Jain said: “I'm assuming nan national authorities can't prolong this, well, indefinitely.”

He shrugged, unsure, arsenic nan president had vowed a complete “federal takeover” of nan metropolis if authorities did not comply pinch his rule enforcement directives, and retained complete power complete nan National Guard successful Washington.

An charismatic from nan Joint Task Force overseeing nan troops responded to Euronews' petition for comment, stating that “we are incapable to assistance interviews arsenic nan work members are focused connected nan ngo to support civilian authorities.”

Back connected nan city’s streets, galore National Guard troops person been enlisted successful beautification projects astir Washington's parks, systematically picking up nan rubbish near down by its residents.

Some sat successful nan shadiness of nan capital's iconic Lincoln Memorial, taking a break from opinionated successful nan sun amid Washington's sticky, sweltering heat.

At nan main Union Station, 1 US National Guard personnel holding his weapon was consenting to talk, but nan speech was brief. He said he had travel from Georgia. Asked if he thought he would beryllium staying successful Washington for long, nan young man besides shrugged.