• The military should not regularly be used to keep domestic order.

• In Britain, there are civilian units, such as riot police, better trained in dealing with such situations. Whilst the military could fulfil such a role, it may have negative consequences and cause the situation to deteriorate further.

• Also consider whether or not using the military to suppress civilians at home is considered an act of war upon the populace given the act of engaging an opposing army is considered an act of war.

‘Those who are trained in the use of lethal force, trained for battle, trained to impose their will by force on an enemy, trained for the express use of defending the territory and citizens of the country against external threats, they should not be regularly used as an instrument of force against the citizens of that same country. Many countries continue to maintain gendarmerie type forces specifically to deal with major riots or insurrection often under the command of interior ministries rather than defence ministries. But crucially these gendarmeries, like our own riot police, are trained to deal with the circumstances they are likely to face, mobs of civilians, maybe even lightly armed. They are also, like our own riot police, fully aware of the legal underpinning of what they are doing. This is not what our armed forces are trained for, not what they joined to do. They would of course have done what was asked, and they would have acted professionally and with self discipline, but it would not have been fair to ask them.’

See King of Diamonds

Sir Nick Harvey, The Politeia Autumn Address, East India House, London, 14th October 2011. https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/2011-10-14-supporting-civilian-authority-what-role-for-the-military--2