"" "" they have rifles....use the damn things. WTF do they issue them for, if not to shoot the enemy invaders."" "" That sounds like the Soviet-Chinese tactics in 1969. First the Chinese 'civilians' thughs pelted border guards with stones and stormed the border. Then border guards adopted and started to kick their butts without fatal force involved.
As they got used to it the Chinese brought guns and RPGs. Fortunately the Russians brought MLRS and it was brought to an end.