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Obama Restricts Military-Style Gear for Police Forces

US President Barack Obama announced the ban of some military-style equipment and the restriction of other gear for local police forces on Monday, May 18. The move is a response to simmering tensions between police forces and minority communities, first sparked by the killing of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown Jr. in Ferguson, Missouri, last year, which led to repeated and widespread protests.

Obama promoted the move at a Salvation Army facility in Camden, New Jersey, on Monday. Speaking to young people and law enforcement, he said, “We’ve seen how militarized gear can sometimes give people the feeling like there is an occupying force as opposed to a force that’s part of the community that’s protecting them and serving them.” Credit: YouTube/White House