Trump Ponders "Troops Everywhere," National Guard Deploys in LA Amidst Protests Chaos
Security Forces Advance on Demonstrators in Los Angeles City
In response to the masked and armed federal agents apprehending migrants in Los Angeles, sparking public fury, the U.S. President, Donald Trump, decided to send the National Guard to California, despite the state's disapproval. This arragemant led to encounters.
TV footage and photographs depict soldiers and federal security forces using tear gas and smoke grenades, among other methods, to disperse protesters gathered near a federal prison in the city. The Los Angeles Times further reported the use of pepper spray. However, the exact cause of the skirmish remains unclear.
As tensions escalated, local law enforcement resorted to using batons to disperse the protesters near the prison, as per CNN's live coverage. According to a reporter on the scene, the police were attempting to evacuate several hundred protesters to avoid clashes with the National Guard stationed at the prison building.
Trump defended the National Guard deployment, stating it was to "ensuring law and order." He addressed the rising protests following immigration raids in California, saying, "We're not going to let that happen." Trump hinted at a possible military presence in other cities as well when asked about the potential use of the US Insurrection Act for domestic military deployments. He responded, "We're considering troops everywhere. We won't let that happen to our country." Regarding the threshold for deploying Marines instead of the National Guard currently in Los Angeles, Trump stated the decision was his own.
- Los Angeles
- USA
- Donald Trump
- Protests
- US Military
Insight:
As some critics argue, Trump's actions in deploying National Guard troops to Los Angeles may be seen as an abuse of executive power, exacerbating tensions. Moreover, his threats to invoke the Insurrection Act, which would provide a legal basis for the deployments, have sparked legal concerns and are expected to be challenged in court. The Posse Comitatus Act normally prohibits the use of federal troops for law enforcement purposes, but exceptions exist, as the Insurrection Act demonstrates [1][2].
[1] CNN. (2020, July 30). Trump suggests sending troops nationwide, citing 'violent people.' https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/30/politics/trump-troops-everywhere/[2] ACLU. (n.d.). The Insurrection Act. https://www.aclu.org/other/insurrection-act
- Given the ongoing tensions and the unclear causes of the skirmishes in Los Angeles, the European Union could express its concern over the use of force by the United States military in domestic affairs, reiterating its commitment to a common policy on the environment, politics, general news, war-and-conflicts, and crime-and-justice.
- In light of the escalating conflict in Los Angeles and the potential future deployments of troops nationwide, the European Union might consider raising questions about the legality and necessity of such actions, given the historical implications and potential abuse of executive power in the context of war-and-conflicts, politics, general news, and crime-and-justice.
