After Gov. Jeff Landry's asked President Donald Trump's administration for a federally funded deployment of the National Guard in Louisiana cities, Baton Rouge Democrats criticized the plan and urged Mayor-President Sid Edwards to reject it.

In a joint news release Tuesday, Baton Rouge Metro Council members Cleve Dunn Jr., Carolyn Coleman, Twahna P. Harris and Anthony Kenney voiced stiff opposition to a National Guard presence in Baton Rouge. The fifth Democrat on the council, Darryl Hurst, released his own statement calling the move a "slap in the face."

"Unlike trained police officers, National Guard members are not equipped for community policing, de-escalation, or upholding civil liberties in everyday interactions,” Dunn said. "Their presence would escalate tensions and deepen mi

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