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A garden around a makeshift memorial to George Floyd, built by a nonprofit youth empowerment group, is pictured near the site where he died in police custody, in Minneapolis, Minnesota on June 17, 2020.

Transitional Justice, Race, and the United States

As a scholar of transitional justice, I am heartened by efforts to de-exceptionalize the United States and to bring race and anti-Black racism into conversation with international…
Fort Bragg Air Assault School

Decoy Amendment Jeopardizes the Moment for Renaming Confederate-Dubbed Bases

The measure would undermine otherwise bipartisan efforts to address these issues, including several worthy alternative proposals.
National Guard Soldiers stand in a line blocking a side street along a Black Lives Matter rally in Boston, MA on June 3, 2020.

National Guard Risks and Recommendations in Public Order Management

Since the tragic murder of George Floyd by police on May 25, more than 20 states have activated National Guard units to support local law enforcement in response to protests…
LEFT - The D.C. National Guard in camo uniforms, helmets, googles, and face masks stand on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial as demonstrators [not seen in the photo] participate in a peaceful protest against police brutality and the death of George Floyd, on June 2, 2020 in Washington, DC. RIGHT - British troops patrol the streets of Belfast June 21, 2001 following fierce fighting the previous night in Ardoyne, a mostly Catholic area in north Belfast, Northern Ireland. They appear to be hiding behind a van.

Northern Ireland’s Lessons for American Policing

Not that long ago, Americans would regularly go to Northern Ireland to offer advice on reforming the region’s notoriously repressive policing. Happily for Northern Ireland, and…
Staff prepare an empty General Assembly hall for elections by secret ballot without a plenary meeting.

National Security at the United Nations This Week (June 12-19)

(Editor’s Note: This is the latest in Just Security’s weekly series keeping readers up to date on developments at the United Nations at the intersection of national security,…
Protesters march through the city during a protest in support of the Black Lives Matter movement on June 14, 2020 in Wellington, New Zealand. A protester holds a sign reading, "Indigenous People for Black Liberation #BLM"

How Inter-State Procedures in Human Rights Treaties Can Support the Black Lives Matter Movement

The initiation of inter-State conciliation proceedings alone, under either convention, could send a powerful and symbolic message about the need for reform. The Conventions provide…
Members of the D.C. National Guard stand on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial as demonstrators, who are not seen in the image, participate in a peaceful protest against police brutality and the death of George Floyd, on June 2, 2020 in Washington, DC.

The Strength of America’s Apolitical Military

A statement by former U.S. ambassadors, Generals and Admirals, senior officials on the response to nationwide protests for racial justice.
Virtual press briefing by the President of the UN General Assembly, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande

National Security at the United Nations This Week (June 5-12)

(Editor’s Note: This is the latest in Just Security’s weekly series keeping readers up to date on developments at the United Nations at the intersection of national security,…
U.S. Army Fort Benning sign reading, "Welcome to Fort Benning Home of the Maneuver Center"

At Confederate-Named Army Bases, Highlight US Ideals By Renaming Them for Honorable Figures

The facilities should be named after accomplished figures who represent the diversity that makes the country and the Army strong. And there are plenty.
Police without mask fasks watch protesters in face masks on June 6, 2020 in Brooklyn NY. A protester on a bike has a sign reading, "Defund the NYPD."

Researchers on Atrocity Prevention Warn: US on Path to Widespread Political Violence

The United States remains on the precipice of widespread human rights violations against its own civilian population. As scholars of armed conflict and human rights with a combined…
Potesters lie on the ground in front of a line of police cars in the position that George Floyd was in when he died. June 6, 2020 - Los Angeles, United States

International Standards Regarding the Handling of Demonstrations

Just as much as nauseating scenes of excessive use of force by the police captured by media and citizens’ smartphones fly in the face of the protections that should be afforded…
A collage of tweets and statements. The first statement by Mike Mullen, Seventeenth chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff reads on June 2, 2020, “I cannot remain silent. Our fellow citizens are not the enemy.” A tweet from Admiral Mike Franken, no date, reads, “I’m a retired three-star admiral running for United States Senate in Iowa. The military is a tool of last resort to defend our nation. It is not a weapon to use against our citizens or our states.” A tweet from Tony Thomas on June 1, 2020 reads, “The ‘battle space’ of America??? Not what America needs to hear…ever, unless we are invaded by an adversary or experience a constitutional failure…ie a Civil War…” A tweet from retired General Martin E. Dempsey, no date, reads, “America’s military, our sons and daughters, will place themselves at risk to protect their fellow citizens. Their job is unimaginably hard overseas; harder at home. Respect them, for they respect you. America is not a battleground. Our fellow citizens are not the enemy. #BeBetter” A tweet from General Michael Hayden, no date, reads, “I was appalled to see him in his battle dress. Mi [cut off] a general?!?) should not have walked over to th [cut off] with Trump.” A tweet from Mark Hertling reads, “’Dominating the battle space,’ democratic values.” A tweet from Berry R McCaffrey on June 1, 2020 reads, “On MSNBC. Monday. 1 June. 11 pm ET. Brian Williams. Trump and the Insurrection Act. The murder of George Floyd by a police officer was the spark that detonated the anger at injustice. Using military forces other than Nat Guard would be inflammatory.” A tweet by @stavridisj, no date, reads, “American tradition says the use of active duty [cut off] to quell domestic disputes should be absol [cut off] resort and done at the request of not over the [cut off] objection of governors. I agree with that – th [cut off] role for the National Guard not active duty.” The last statement comes from an article by Jeffrey Goldberg and reads, “James Mattis denounces President Trump, describes him as threat to the Constitution. In an extraordinary condemnation, the former defense secretary [cut off] protestors and says the president is trying to turn Americans against [cut off] another.”

The Generals’ Constitution

When retired senior military officers “break ranks” to publicly criticize current political affairs, they often invoke a defense of the Constitution. In light of their oaths…
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