Thousands more troops swarm LA, mostly maintain peace
Multitude of Additional Soldiers Deploy to Los Angeles
It's chaos in the White House's narrative, but the streets of LA tell a different story. As scores of US Marine infantrymen and National Guard troops flood the city, protests against federal immigration policies persist—though not on the terrifying scale Trump'singrhaiting about.
Donald Trump paints a picture of LA on fire, but facts on the ground paint a different picture. City officials and LA's lead prosecutor, Nathan Hochman, assure us that the predominantly peaceful protests are contained to a small, insignificant area, involving a tiny fraction of the city's population. Protests are becoming less frequent with each passing day.
LA's streets have seen a reimposed curfew since nightfall in the city center, near the jail building housing migrants awaiting deportation. ICE operations harnessed federal troops to protect their agents during the raids. The troops are on standby to arrest protesters, but they must wait for authorized law enforcement to execute those arrests.
By Wednesday morning, police had swept up 210 rioters for illegal protesting, 17 for violating the curfew. LA's law enforcers managed to maintain order for the most part, though there were bursts of violence.
Hochman disputes the sensational portrayal of LA as a violent city descending into chaos. He revealed that only 0.1% of residents participate in protests against deportations, and among them, around 400 engage in riots or vandalism. That translates to an astounding 99.99% of the entire population not involved in any illegal activities linked to these protests.
Los Angeles was not alone in protesting. On Wednesday, demonstrations flared up in cities like LA, New York, San Antonio, and Raleigh. Protests are set to rock Washington this Saturday, when a massive military parade commemorating the 250th anniversary of the US Army's formation is slated.
In response to regional unrest, more National Guard troops are en route to LA on Thursday. Another 2,000 are anticipated to arrive in the afternoon, supplementing the 2,000 already deployed. 700 active-duty Marines are also expected soon, after completing a two-day training course for protest response and crowd control.
These forces, however, aren't meant for policing city streets. Trump's decree to deploy 4,000 National Guard troops against the will of California and LA faces a legal challenge. Marines, trained for military conflict, are being brought in for domestic unrest management, drawing criticism and concerns about escalating tensions and eroding civil-military boundaries.
Trump continues to harangue the protestors as "radical left crazies" and hails himself as LA's savior, saying "If I hadn't acted promptly, LA would have gone up in flames by now."
- The Commission, amidst the ongoing political debates and general news coverage, has been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation, as the concern over Trump's deployment of troops to manage domestic unrest raises questions about potential long-term hazards.
- Meanwhile, in the realm of crime and justice, the influx of troops into LA continues, with the ongoing debate surrounding the rightful authority to command military personnel in domestic affairs, stirring discussions about the delicate balance between civil-military relations and the rule of law.
