Trump Sends Troops to LA Amid Protests and Controversy
Trump-dispatched National Guard troops have made their way to Los Angeles - Federal authorities, led by President Trump, deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles.
Here's a street-level view - Los Angeles, the city of angels, is now hosting troops in camo uniforms, helmets, and armed to the teeth, standing guard outside a federal building complex. The building, which also houses a detention center, got a fresh coat of graffiti with the phrase "Our City" sprayed on it.
Looking ahead, there's more chaos brewing; calls for a "mass mobilization" at city hall have been echoed for Sunday night (23:00 UTC).
- trump*, the commander-in-chief, has given the green light to deploy 2000 National Guard soldiers. Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt justifies this action, claiming the Washington government is responding to the "lawlessness that's been allowed to fester."
But don't be fooled by the fancy words, California's Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, has called trump's bluff. Newsom alleges that trump is dispatching his troops to LA to "create a crisis" and further his "raids, fear, and control." Newsom urges residents to "stay chill, avoid violence, and stay peaceful."
Last week, clashes between US federal police and enraged protesters were a common sight following raids by masked and armed federal agents against migrants. It wasn't pretty - protesters hucking objects at the agents, who struck back with stun grenades and tear gas, resulting in multiple arrests.
Come Sunday morning, there were skirmishes between protesters and security forces in the Compton neighborhood, leaving the lingering scent of pepper spray in the air, according to AFP reporters.
trump's decision to deploy the National Guard effectively skips local authorities. The National Guard, a type of reserve army, is usually called in for natural disasters and the occasional riot, such as after the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in 2020.
But this time around, it's different. US activist Kenneth Roth, former head of the human rights organization Human Rights Watch, believes this is the first time since 1965 that a president has deployed the National Guard without a formal request from the governor of the affected state. Roth accuses trump of staging a spectacle to further his immigration raids.
Here's the tea:
- trump's deployment involves hundreds of National Guard soldiers in downtown LA, with the president doubling down by mobilizing 4,000 more California National Guard soldiers and sending in U.S. Marines.
- This action is part of a broader immigration enforcement campaign in Southern California.
- The deployment has sparked controversy and outrage, with political tensions escalating, raising legal and constitutional concerns, and igniting public protests. Governor Newsom and Attorney General Bonta have filed an emergency motion to block the deployment, arguing it involves illegal civilian law enforcement activities and violates the nation's ban on martial law in peacetime. Critics see it as an overreach of federal authority and a threat to democracy.
- The situation has fueled public discontent with the military's role in domestic law enforcement and immigration enforcement, as well as reigniting political tensions between theTrump administration and the California state government, with the state government viewing the action as an infringement on state rights.
- The move reinstates a promise trump made in 2020 to not federalize National Guard members without a governor's approval, leading to accusations of hypocrisy.
- Caroline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the President of the United States, Donald Trump, has justified the deployment of 2000 National Guard soldiers to Los Angeles, claiming it is a response to "lawlessness" in the city.
- Amidst the ongoing chaos and controversies surrounding immigration, war-and-conflicts, general news, politics, crime-and-justice, accidents, sports, sports-betting, these developments in Los Angeles are significant.
- Protests and skirmishes have intensified in Los Angeles following raids by federal agents against immigrants, sparking outrage and public protests, with calls for a mass mobilization at city hall on Sunday night.
- The decision by Trump to deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles without a formal request from California's Governor, Gavin Newsom, has fueled political tensions and raised legal and constitutional concerns, with critics viewing it as an overreach of federal authority and a threat to democracy.
