This archive report was first published on 11 June 2020.
On June 1, 2020, Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) took to Twitter to express his frustration with the ongoing protests in the United States. In a series of tweets, he called for military force to be used against protesters, stating that 'anarchy, rioting and looting needs to end tonight' and that 'if local law enforcement is overwhelmed and needs backup, let's see how tough these Antifa terrorists are when they're facing off with the 101st Airborne Division.'
His tweets sparked widespread outrage, with many legal experts and critics quickly responding on Twitter. David French, a lawyer and journalist, tweeted that 'a no quarter order is a war crime, prohibited even in actual insurrection since Abraham Lincoln's signed the Lieber Code in 1863. Such an order is banned by international law and would, if carried out, be murder under American law.'
Senator Cotton later attempted to clarify his comments, stating that he did not mean to suggest that protesters should be treated with cruelty. However, his initial tweets and subsequent attempts to walk back his comments have raised concerns about the rule of law and the potential for military force to be used against protesters.
