Missouri National Guard Labeled Ferguson Protesters ‘Enemy Forces’

Last year, at the height of protests in Ferguson, Missouri, Governor Jay Nixon ordered the deployment of the National Guard to help keep the peace. They left ten days later, but new documents uncovered by CNN show exactly how the Missouri National Guard classified the protesters.

In the documents, Ferguson protesters are referred to as “enemy forces” and “adversaries.” They were also concerned about a potential overuse of force in trying to bring tensions down and avoid more chaos.

These documents, of course, have gotten some Ferguson residents rather riled up, but the Missouri National Guard released a statement defending the language:

“The document referenced uses a generic military planning format utilized in a wide range of military missions, so the term ‘enemy forces’ would better be understood as ‘potential threats.’ Often in Guard operations, threats would include inclement weather, heat, failing levees, etc.”

Watch CNN’s report here:

[h/t TIME]
[image via R. Gino Santa Maria/Shutterstock]

— —

Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!