This is incorrect: Deploying the RAF to control a situation is not the same as declaring Martial Law.
That would require declaring an Emergency AFAIK.
OK, thanks.
what does that mean?
Sometimes, when the fit hits the shan, governments must act decisively to protect the public interest. So they call a timeout on civil society. Not quite state of war, but heading that way. But when that's not explicit, it becomes hard to tell whether or not one is living in a police state.