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Toby Mann

Israeli forces took command of the charity vessel that had tried to break a naval blockade of the Gaza Strip and has detained its crew as it is steered to a port in Israel, officials said. 9m ago 9 minutes ago Mon 9 Jun 2025 at 7:40am
Vladimir Putin's online army is normally supportive, but some accounts have been boldly outspoken and willing to question, even blame, the Russian establishment for not protecting the country's prized strategic bomber fleet. Fri 6 Jun Fri 6 Jun Fri 6 Jun 2025 at 9:49pm
After another Signal controversy, there is mounting pressure on US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and reports of "dysfunction" and "mass chaos" inside the Pentagon. Tue 22 Apr Tue 22 Apr Tue 22 Apr 2025 at 12:39am
Nationwide protests are rocking Türkiye as its jailed presidential alternative issues a message from jail. Fri 28 Mar Fri 28 Mar Fri 28 Mar 2025 at 11:37pm
Israel has formally identified the remains of children Ariel and Kfir Bibas, but says a third body handed over by Hamas alongside them is not that of their mother. Fri 21 Feb Fri 21 Feb Fri 21 Feb 2025 at 2:47am
There might be a ceasefire, but the people of Gaza are far from free. This is a brief look beyond Israel's fortified border wall. Thu 6 Feb Thu 6 Feb Thu 6 Feb 2025 at 7:01pm
In a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump announced a surprising plan for the Middle East and the future of Gaza. These are the key takeaways. Mon 3 Mar Mon 3 Mar Mon 3 Mar 2025 at 2:08am
As flight 5342 prepared to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport it was in one of the most secure airspaces in the world. So, how did it collide with a military helicopter? Sat 1 Feb Sat 1 Feb Sat 1 Feb 2025 at 3:55am
First responders have recovered the bodies of 28 passengers from the American Airlines jet that collided with the helicopter, US officials said. Thu 30 Jan Thu 30 Jan Thu 30 Jan 2025 at 2:51pm
It appears as if both Joe Biden and Donald Trump are staking their foreign policy legacies on the Israel Hamas ceasefire agreement. And analysts believe both men were crucial to getting both sides to finally reach a deal. Fri 17 Jan Fri 17 Jan Fri 17 Jan 2025 at 7:06pm
Once dismissed as "the Paris Hilton of Canadian politics", Justin Trudeau defied expectations by holding onto power for almost a decade. But his tumultuous period in office was often defined by scandals of his own making. Tue 7 Jan Tue 7 Jan Tue 7 Jan 2025 at 6:44pm
From Bashar al-Assad's abandoned palace to the site of one of the country's most horrific massacres, the ABC spent three days in Syria, uncovering the fallen dictator's secrets. Wed 18 Dec Wed 18 Dec Wed 18 Dec 2024 at 6:42pm
A lawyer for the miners sheltering inside an abandoned goldmine says they are suffering from a lack of food, with police poised to arrest them when they surface. Wed 20 Nov Wed 20 Nov Wed 20 Nov 2024 at 7:29pm
While Australia struggles to tackle the rising cost of living, other countries have the opposite problem. What is deflation and why can it be bad for the economy? Sun 27 Oct Sun 27 Oct Sun 27 Oct 2024 at 7:54pm
Two gunmen opened fire on passengers travelling in Tel Aviv's light rail and continued their attack on foot until they were "neutralised" by armed members of the public, Israeli police say. Wed 2 Oct Wed 2 Oct Wed 2 Oct 2024 at 5:33am
The leader of the region's most powerful militia and Iran's strongest ally is gone, and Hezbollah, the group he headed, has been decimated by intense Israel attacks. But that doesn't mean it will die with him. Sat 28 Sep Sat 28 Sep Sat 28 Sep 2024 at 8:07pm
After his failed attempt to take power by storming parliament with armed supporters in 2000, George Speight was initially sentenced to death by hanging but that was later commuted to a life sentence. Wed 25 Sep Wed 25 Sep Wed 25 Sep 2024 at 8:09pm
Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII is laid to rest alongside generations of ancestors at Mount Taupiri after his funeral procession wraps up days of mourning. Fri 6 Sep Fri 6 Sep Fri 6 Sep 2024 at 2:02am
Spanish authorities have been after fugitive Catalonian separatist leader Carles Puigdemont for seven years, but when he openly returned to Barcelona, police didn't have a plan to nab him and he vanished again. Thu 29 Aug Thu 29 Aug Thu 29 Aug 2024 at 7:06pm
Their Italian holiday was meant to celebrate winning a mighty battle between corporate heavyweights, but the Bayesian luxury yacht was in "the wrong place at the wrong time". Tue 20 Aug Tue 20 Aug Tue 20 Aug 2024 at 7:02pm
Allegedly dodgy doctors teamed up with an LA dealer known as the "Ketamine Queen" and the Friends' star's personal assistant to use his addiction issues to "enrich themselves", US authorities say after charging five people following a wide-ranging investigation. Fri 16 Aug Fri 16 Aug Fri 16 Aug 2024 at 7:04pm
Iran blames Israel for the assassination of a Hamas leader in Tehran this week, saying it has a "duty" to seek revenge. So, what might Iran do next? Sun 1 Sep Sun 1 Sep Sun 1 Sep 2024 at 10:58pm
Voting in the UK's general election began on Thursday as a media blackout descended across the country and silenced its political hopefuls. Thu 4 Jul Thu 4 Jul Thu 4 Jul 2024 at 8:14pm
Under the new arrangement announced by Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Australians will be able to travel to China for up to 15 days without the need to apply and pay for a visa, and for those looking to visit family the plan has been well received even though many details are still to emerge. Thu 20 Jun Thu 20 Jun Thu 20 Jun 2024 at 1:11am
Popular with manufacturers and consumers across South-East Asia, single-use sachets are a nightmare for recyclers and the environment.
Tue 28 May Tue 28 May Tue 28 May 2024 at 1:08am

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Australia, UK to sanction Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich
Australia, UK to sanction Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich

ABC News

timean hour ago

  • ABC News

Australia, UK to sanction Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich

Australia has issued sanctions against two of the most controversial members of Israel's government, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. The pair have been hit by the joint action from the Australian, British, Canadian, New Zealand and Norwegian governments, enforcing travel bans and freezing their assets. In a statement, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the sanctions have been announced in response to the pair's incitement of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Mr Ben-Gvir serves as National Security Minister in Israeli Prime Minister's Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government, while Mr Smotrich is the finance minister. They are two of the most outspoken far-right politicians calling for the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, and have also agitated for continuing fighting in Gaza and the return of Jewish settlements in the strip. Mr Smotrich has said he would allow "not even a grain of wheat" to enter Gaza, adding that the strip would be "entirely destroyed" during the war. Mr Ben-Gvir has called for the Palestinian population to be pushed out of Gaza, saying "we must encourage emigration." He has also repeatedly fuelled tensions in Jerusalem's Old City by insisting Jewish people can pray on the Temple Mount, something reserved solely for Muslim worship, and the replacement of the Al-Aqsa mosque with a synagogue. The joint statement from the UK, Australian, Norweigan and Canadian foreign ministers, said: "Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights. "Extremist rhetoric advocating the forced displacement of Palestinians and the creation of new Israeli settlements is appalling and dangerous. These actions are not acceptable. "We have engaged the Israeli Government on this issue extensively, yet violent perpetrators continue to act with encouragement and impunity. This is why we have taken this action now – to hold those responsible to account. "The Israeli Government must uphold its obligations under international law and we call on it to take meaningful action to end extremist, violent and expansionist rhetoric." Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said the Israeli government had been informed about a "UK decision to include two of our ministers on the British sanctions list". "It is outrageous that elected representatives and members of the government are subjected to this kind of measures," he said. "I discussed it earlier today with Prime Minister Netanyahu, and we will hold a special government meeting early next week to decide on our response to this unacceptable decision." The sanctions were first reported by British newspaper The Times, prompting early responses from Mr Ben-Gvir and Mr Smotrich directed at the UK government. "We passed Pharaoh, we will also pass Starmer's wall," Mr Ben-Gvir said. "I will continue to work for the State of Israel and the people of Israel without fear or intimidation." Mr Smotrich said he viewed the decision with contempt. "Britain has already tried once to prevent us from settling the cradle of our homeland, and we cannot do it again," he said. "We are determined God willing to continue building." The UK has sharpened its criticism of Israel in recent weeks, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer foreshadowed sanctions against Israel in a joint statement with Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney and French President Emmanuel Macron. Israel's humanitarian blockade of Gaza has been roundly criticised by leaders, with French President Emmanuel Macron labelling it as "shameful."

Trump has long speculated about using force against his own people. Now he has the pretext to do so
Trump has long speculated about using force against his own people. Now he has the pretext to do so

The Advertiser

time2 hours ago

  • The Advertiser

Trump has long speculated about using force against his own people. Now he has the pretext to do so

"You just [expletive] shot the reporter!" Australian journalist Lauren Tomasi was in the middle of a live cross, covering the protests against the Trump administration's mass deportation policy in Los Angeles, California. As Tomasi spoke to the camera, microphone in hand, an LAPD officer in the background appeared to target her directly, hitting her in the leg with a rubber bullet. Earlier, reports emerged that British photojournalist Nick Stern was undergoing emergency surgery after also being hit by the same "non-lethal" ammunition. The situation in Los Angeles is extremely volatile. After nonviolent protests against raids and arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents began in the suburb of Paramount, US President Donald Trump issued a memo describing them as "a form of rebellion against the authority of the government of the United States". He then deployed the National Guard. As much of the coverage has noted, this is not the first time the National Guard has been deployed to quell protests in the US. In 1970, members of the National Guard shot and killed four students protesting the war in Vietnam at Kent State University. In 1992, the National Guard was deployed during protests in Los Angeles following the acquittal of four police officers (three of whom were white) in the severe beating of a Black man, Rodney King. Trump has long speculated about violently deploying the National Guard and even the military against his own people. During his first administration, at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests, former Secretary of Defence Mark Esper alleged that Trump asked him, "Can't you just shoot them, just shoot them in the legs or something?" Trump has also long sought to other those opposed to his radical agenda to reshape the United States and its role in the world. He's classified them as "un-American" and, therefore, deserving of contempt and, when he deems it necessary, violent oppression. During last year's election campaign, he promised to "root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country". Even the Washington Post characterised this description of Trump's "political enemies" as "echoing Hitler, Mussolini". In addition, Trump has long peddled baseless conspiracies about "sanctuary cities", such as Los Angeles. He has characterised them as lawless havens for his political enemies and places that have been "invaded" by immigrants. As anyone who has ever visited these places knows, that is not true. It is no surprise that in the same places Trump characterises as "disgracing our country", there has been staunch opposition to his agenda and ideology. That opposition has coalesced in recent weeks around the activities of ICE agents, in particular. These agents, wearing masks to conceal their identities, have been arbitrarily detaining people, including US citizens and children, and disappearing people off the streets. They have also arrested caregivers, leaving children alone. As Adam Serwer wrote in The Atlantic during the first iteration of Trump in America, "the cruelty is the point". The Trump administration's mass deportation program is deliberately cruel and provocative. It was always only a matter of time before protests broke out. In a democracy, nonviolent protest by hundreds or perhaps a few thousand people in a city of 10 million is not a crisis. But it has always suited Trump and the movement that supports him to manufacture crises. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, a key architect of the mass deportations program and a man described by a former adviser as "Waffen SS", called the protests "an insurrection against the laws and sovereignty of the United States". Trump himself also described protesters as "violent, insurrectionist mobs". Nowhere does the presidential memo deploying the National Guard name the specific location of the protests. This, and the extreme language coming out of the administration, suggests it is laying the groundwork for further escalation. The administration could be leaving space to deploy the National Guard in other places and invoke the Insurrection Act. Incidents involving the deployment of the National Guard are rare, though politically cataclysmic. It is rarer still for the National Guard to be deployed against the wishes of a democratically elected leader of a state, as Trump has done in California. This deployment comes at a time of crisis for US democracy more broadly. Trump's longstanding attacks against independent media - what he describes as "fake news" - are escalating. There is a reason that during the current protests, a law enforcement officer appeared so comfortable targeting a journalist, on camera. The Trump administration is also actively targeting independent institutions such as Harvard and Columbia universities. It is also targeting and undermining judges and reducing the power of independent courts to enforce the rule of law. Under Trump, the federal government and its state-based allies are targeting and undermining the rights of minority groups - policing the bodies of trans people, targeting reproductive rights, and beginning the process of undoing the Civil Rights Act. Trump is, for the moment, unconstrained. Asked overnight what the bar is for deploying the Marines against protesters, Trump responded: "the bar is what I think it is". As New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie recently observed:" We should treat Trump and his openly authoritarian administration as a failure, not just of our party system or our legal system, but of our Constitution and its ability to meaningfully constrain a destructive and system-threatening force in our political life." While the situation in Los Angeles is unpredictable, it must be understood in the broader context of the active, violent threat the Trump administration poses to the US. As we watch, American democracy teeters on the brink. This article was updated on June 9, 2025 to correct information about Rodney King. "You just [expletive] shot the reporter!" Australian journalist Lauren Tomasi was in the middle of a live cross, covering the protests against the Trump administration's mass deportation policy in Los Angeles, California. As Tomasi spoke to the camera, microphone in hand, an LAPD officer in the background appeared to target her directly, hitting her in the leg with a rubber bullet. Earlier, reports emerged that British photojournalist Nick Stern was undergoing emergency surgery after also being hit by the same "non-lethal" ammunition. The situation in Los Angeles is extremely volatile. After nonviolent protests against raids and arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents began in the suburb of Paramount, US President Donald Trump issued a memo describing them as "a form of rebellion against the authority of the government of the United States". He then deployed the National Guard. As much of the coverage has noted, this is not the first time the National Guard has been deployed to quell protests in the US. In 1970, members of the National Guard shot and killed four students protesting the war in Vietnam at Kent State University. In 1992, the National Guard was deployed during protests in Los Angeles following the acquittal of four police officers (three of whom were white) in the severe beating of a Black man, Rodney King. Trump has long speculated about violently deploying the National Guard and even the military against his own people. During his first administration, at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests, former Secretary of Defence Mark Esper alleged that Trump asked him, "Can't you just shoot them, just shoot them in the legs or something?" Trump has also long sought to other those opposed to his radical agenda to reshape the United States and its role in the world. He's classified them as "un-American" and, therefore, deserving of contempt and, when he deems it necessary, violent oppression. During last year's election campaign, he promised to "root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country". Even the Washington Post characterised this description of Trump's "political enemies" as "echoing Hitler, Mussolini". In addition, Trump has long peddled baseless conspiracies about "sanctuary cities", such as Los Angeles. He has characterised them as lawless havens for his political enemies and places that have been "invaded" by immigrants. As anyone who has ever visited these places knows, that is not true. It is no surprise that in the same places Trump characterises as "disgracing our country", there has been staunch opposition to his agenda and ideology. That opposition has coalesced in recent weeks around the activities of ICE agents, in particular. These agents, wearing masks to conceal their identities, have been arbitrarily detaining people, including US citizens and children, and disappearing people off the streets. They have also arrested caregivers, leaving children alone. As Adam Serwer wrote in The Atlantic during the first iteration of Trump in America, "the cruelty is the point". The Trump administration's mass deportation program is deliberately cruel and provocative. It was always only a matter of time before protests broke out. In a democracy, nonviolent protest by hundreds or perhaps a few thousand people in a city of 10 million is not a crisis. But it has always suited Trump and the movement that supports him to manufacture crises. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, a key architect of the mass deportations program and a man described by a former adviser as "Waffen SS", called the protests "an insurrection against the laws and sovereignty of the United States". Trump himself also described protesters as "violent, insurrectionist mobs". Nowhere does the presidential memo deploying the National Guard name the specific location of the protests. This, and the extreme language coming out of the administration, suggests it is laying the groundwork for further escalation. The administration could be leaving space to deploy the National Guard in other places and invoke the Insurrection Act. Incidents involving the deployment of the National Guard are rare, though politically cataclysmic. It is rarer still for the National Guard to be deployed against the wishes of a democratically elected leader of a state, as Trump has done in California. This deployment comes at a time of crisis for US democracy more broadly. Trump's longstanding attacks against independent media - what he describes as "fake news" - are escalating. There is a reason that during the current protests, a law enforcement officer appeared so comfortable targeting a journalist, on camera. The Trump administration is also actively targeting independent institutions such as Harvard and Columbia universities. It is also targeting and undermining judges and reducing the power of independent courts to enforce the rule of law. Under Trump, the federal government and its state-based allies are targeting and undermining the rights of minority groups - policing the bodies of trans people, targeting reproductive rights, and beginning the process of undoing the Civil Rights Act. Trump is, for the moment, unconstrained. Asked overnight what the bar is for deploying the Marines against protesters, Trump responded: "the bar is what I think it is". As New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie recently observed:" We should treat Trump and his openly authoritarian administration as a failure, not just of our party system or our legal system, but of our Constitution and its ability to meaningfully constrain a destructive and system-threatening force in our political life." While the situation in Los Angeles is unpredictable, it must be understood in the broader context of the active, violent threat the Trump administration poses to the US. As we watch, American democracy teeters on the brink. This article was updated on June 9, 2025 to correct information about Rodney King. "You just [expletive] shot the reporter!" Australian journalist Lauren Tomasi was in the middle of a live cross, covering the protests against the Trump administration's mass deportation policy in Los Angeles, California. As Tomasi spoke to the camera, microphone in hand, an LAPD officer in the background appeared to target her directly, hitting her in the leg with a rubber bullet. Earlier, reports emerged that British photojournalist Nick Stern was undergoing emergency surgery after also being hit by the same "non-lethal" ammunition. The situation in Los Angeles is extremely volatile. After nonviolent protests against raids and arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents began in the suburb of Paramount, US President Donald Trump issued a memo describing them as "a form of rebellion against the authority of the government of the United States". He then deployed the National Guard. As much of the coverage has noted, this is not the first time the National Guard has been deployed to quell protests in the US. In 1970, members of the National Guard shot and killed four students protesting the war in Vietnam at Kent State University. In 1992, the National Guard was deployed during protests in Los Angeles following the acquittal of four police officers (three of whom were white) in the severe beating of a Black man, Rodney King. Trump has long speculated about violently deploying the National Guard and even the military against his own people. During his first administration, at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests, former Secretary of Defence Mark Esper alleged that Trump asked him, "Can't you just shoot them, just shoot them in the legs or something?" Trump has also long sought to other those opposed to his radical agenda to reshape the United States and its role in the world. He's classified them as "un-American" and, therefore, deserving of contempt and, when he deems it necessary, violent oppression. During last year's election campaign, he promised to "root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country". Even the Washington Post characterised this description of Trump's "political enemies" as "echoing Hitler, Mussolini". In addition, Trump has long peddled baseless conspiracies about "sanctuary cities", such as Los Angeles. He has characterised them as lawless havens for his political enemies and places that have been "invaded" by immigrants. As anyone who has ever visited these places knows, that is not true. It is no surprise that in the same places Trump characterises as "disgracing our country", there has been staunch opposition to his agenda and ideology. That opposition has coalesced in recent weeks around the activities of ICE agents, in particular. These agents, wearing masks to conceal their identities, have been arbitrarily detaining people, including US citizens and children, and disappearing people off the streets. They have also arrested caregivers, leaving children alone. As Adam Serwer wrote in The Atlantic during the first iteration of Trump in America, "the cruelty is the point". The Trump administration's mass deportation program is deliberately cruel and provocative. It was always only a matter of time before protests broke out. In a democracy, nonviolent protest by hundreds or perhaps a few thousand people in a city of 10 million is not a crisis. But it has always suited Trump and the movement that supports him to manufacture crises. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, a key architect of the mass deportations program and a man described by a former adviser as "Waffen SS", called the protests "an insurrection against the laws and sovereignty of the United States". Trump himself also described protesters as "violent, insurrectionist mobs". Nowhere does the presidential memo deploying the National Guard name the specific location of the protests. This, and the extreme language coming out of the administration, suggests it is laying the groundwork for further escalation. The administration could be leaving space to deploy the National Guard in other places and invoke the Insurrection Act. Incidents involving the deployment of the National Guard are rare, though politically cataclysmic. It is rarer still for the National Guard to be deployed against the wishes of a democratically elected leader of a state, as Trump has done in California. This deployment comes at a time of crisis for US democracy more broadly. Trump's longstanding attacks against independent media - what he describes as "fake news" - are escalating. There is a reason that during the current protests, a law enforcement officer appeared so comfortable targeting a journalist, on camera. The Trump administration is also actively targeting independent institutions such as Harvard and Columbia universities. It is also targeting and undermining judges and reducing the power of independent courts to enforce the rule of law. Under Trump, the federal government and its state-based allies are targeting and undermining the rights of minority groups - policing the bodies of trans people, targeting reproductive rights, and beginning the process of undoing the Civil Rights Act. Trump is, for the moment, unconstrained. Asked overnight what the bar is for deploying the Marines against protesters, Trump responded: "the bar is what I think it is". As New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie recently observed:" We should treat Trump and his openly authoritarian administration as a failure, not just of our party system or our legal system, but of our Constitution and its ability to meaningfully constrain a destructive and system-threatening force in our political life." While the situation in Los Angeles is unpredictable, it must be understood in the broader context of the active, violent threat the Trump administration poses to the US. As we watch, American democracy teeters on the brink. This article was updated on June 9, 2025 to correct information about Rodney King. "You just [expletive] shot the reporter!" Australian journalist Lauren Tomasi was in the middle of a live cross, covering the protests against the Trump administration's mass deportation policy in Los Angeles, California. As Tomasi spoke to the camera, microphone in hand, an LAPD officer in the background appeared to target her directly, hitting her in the leg with a rubber bullet. Earlier, reports emerged that British photojournalist Nick Stern was undergoing emergency surgery after also being hit by the same "non-lethal" ammunition. The situation in Los Angeles is extremely volatile. After nonviolent protests against raids and arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents began in the suburb of Paramount, US President Donald Trump issued a memo describing them as "a form of rebellion against the authority of the government of the United States". He then deployed the National Guard. As much of the coverage has noted, this is not the first time the National Guard has been deployed to quell protests in the US. In 1970, members of the National Guard shot and killed four students protesting the war in Vietnam at Kent State University. In 1992, the National Guard was deployed during protests in Los Angeles following the acquittal of four police officers (three of whom were white) in the severe beating of a Black man, Rodney King. Trump has long speculated about violently deploying the National Guard and even the military against his own people. During his first administration, at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests, former Secretary of Defence Mark Esper alleged that Trump asked him, "Can't you just shoot them, just shoot them in the legs or something?" Trump has also long sought to other those opposed to his radical agenda to reshape the United States and its role in the world. He's classified them as "un-American" and, therefore, deserving of contempt and, when he deems it necessary, violent oppression. During last year's election campaign, he promised to "root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country". Even the Washington Post characterised this description of Trump's "political enemies" as "echoing Hitler, Mussolini". In addition, Trump has long peddled baseless conspiracies about "sanctuary cities", such as Los Angeles. He has characterised them as lawless havens for his political enemies and places that have been "invaded" by immigrants. As anyone who has ever visited these places knows, that is not true. It is no surprise that in the same places Trump characterises as "disgracing our country", there has been staunch opposition to his agenda and ideology. That opposition has coalesced in recent weeks around the activities of ICE agents, in particular. These agents, wearing masks to conceal their identities, have been arbitrarily detaining people, including US citizens and children, and disappearing people off the streets. They have also arrested caregivers, leaving children alone. As Adam Serwer wrote in The Atlantic during the first iteration of Trump in America, "the cruelty is the point". The Trump administration's mass deportation program is deliberately cruel and provocative. It was always only a matter of time before protests broke out. In a democracy, nonviolent protest by hundreds or perhaps a few thousand people in a city of 10 million is not a crisis. But it has always suited Trump and the movement that supports him to manufacture crises. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, a key architect of the mass deportations program and a man described by a former adviser as "Waffen SS", called the protests "an insurrection against the laws and sovereignty of the United States". Trump himself also described protesters as "violent, insurrectionist mobs". Nowhere does the presidential memo deploying the National Guard name the specific location of the protests. This, and the extreme language coming out of the administration, suggests it is laying the groundwork for further escalation. The administration could be leaving space to deploy the National Guard in other places and invoke the Insurrection Act. Incidents involving the deployment of the National Guard are rare, though politically cataclysmic. It is rarer still for the National Guard to be deployed against the wishes of a democratically elected leader of a state, as Trump has done in California. This deployment comes at a time of crisis for US democracy more broadly. Trump's longstanding attacks against independent media - what he describes as "fake news" - are escalating. There is a reason that during the current protests, a law enforcement officer appeared so comfortable targeting a journalist, on camera. The Trump administration is also actively targeting independent institutions such as Harvard and Columbia universities. It is also targeting and undermining judges and reducing the power of independent courts to enforce the rule of law. Under Trump, the federal government and its state-based allies are targeting and undermining the rights of minority groups - policing the bodies of trans people, targeting reproductive rights, and beginning the process of undoing the Civil Rights Act. Trump is, for the moment, unconstrained. Asked overnight what the bar is for deploying the Marines against protesters, Trump responded: "the bar is what I think it is". As New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie recently observed:" We should treat Trump and his openly authoritarian administration as a failure, not just of our party system or our legal system, but of our Constitution and its ability to meaningfully constrain a destructive and system-threatening force in our political life." While the situation in Los Angeles is unpredictable, it must be understood in the broader context of the active, violent threat the Trump administration poses to the US. As we watch, American democracy teeters on the brink. This article was updated on June 9, 2025 to correct information about Rodney King.

Bruce Springsteen snubbed autograph hunters for 'chasing him all around town'
Bruce Springsteen snubbed autograph hunters for 'chasing him all around town'

Perth Now

time3 hours ago

  • Perth Now

Bruce Springsteen snubbed autograph hunters for 'chasing him all around town'

Bruce Springsteen snubbed autograph hunters in Liverpool after they "chased" him through the city. The Dancing In The Dark rock legend - who recently played the second of two gigs at the north-west of England city's Anfield stadium - appeared angry as he was seen admonishing some people in the rain and refusing to sign any autographs. In a video which has been shared on X, Bruce said: "You guys chased me all around town! I'm signing nothing!" As he walks past them, someone out of view can be heard gasping in shock. Another person behind the camera responded: "Bruce, we love ya! We didn't, we've been here waiting for ya!" Bruce played his second gig in Liverpool on Saturday (07.06.25), and he'll be moving onto Berlin, Germany for a show at the Olympiastadion tomorrow (11.06.25) as his Land of Hope and Dreams tour keeps rolling. Last month, the 75-year-old rock star played three packed concerts at Manchester's Co-op Live arena. At one point during the first of the shows, he described Donald Trump's administration in the US as "corrupt, incompetent and treasonous". He told the audience: "In my home, the America I love, the America I've written about, that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration. "Tonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experiment to rise with us, raise your voices against authoritarianism and let freedom ring!' The rocker – who has been a staunch critic of Trump – made another attack on the White House chief and his political ideology as he introduced City of Ruin. He said: "There's some very weird, strange and dangerous s*** going on out there right now. In America they are persecuting people for using their right to free speech and voicing their dissent. This is happening now. "In America the richest men are taking satisfaction in abandoning the world's poorest children to sickness and death. This is happening now. "In my country they're taking sadistic pleasure in the pain they inflict on loyal American workers. They're rolling back historic civil rights legislation that has led to a more just and plural society." Trump responded with a lengthy rant via the social media platform Truth Social. Describing The Boss as "dumb as a rock", he wrote: "This dried out 'prune' of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied!) ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he gets back into the Country, that's just 'standard fare'. Then we'll all see how it goes for him! He added: 'Never liked him, never liked his music, or his Radical Left Politics and, importantly, he's not a talented guy - Just a pushy, obnoxious JERK.'

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