Los Angeles protesters tell US Marines to leave LA
U.S. Marines stand guard as people protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's policies and federal immigration sweeps during a No Kings Day demonstration in Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 14, 2025. REUTERS/David Ryder
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -About 50 U.S. Marines squared off against hundreds of protesters in front of a federal building in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, with the crowd yelling in unison for them to go home.
The Marines had been sent to the city by U.S. President Donald Trump along with federalized members of the California National Guard earlier this week over the objections of the state governor and the city's mayor, as anger over immigration raids drew thousands of demonstrators into the streets.
Jesus Arias, a Los Angeles-based attorney, was at the front of the crowd with a bullhorn, working to convince the Marines to abandon their post.
"We are not your enemy, we are the people!" Arias said into the bullhorn as the Marines looked on. "You are breaking the oaths you took to be Marines. Wake up! Wake up!"
California Governor Gavin Newsom and local leaders have called Trump's move an inflammatory provocation for the protests over the past week - demonstrations that the local sheriff on Friday said were 99% peaceful, with a only a handful of people engaged in violence and vandalism.
Trump summoned 700 Marines from California who were trained to help in the L.A. mission, including de-escalation and crowd control.
The deployment sparked a debate about the use of the military on U.S. soil given Marines are trained for conflicts around the world rather than at home, but the Trump administration has defended its move by citing the need to maintain law and order. Trump, who is carrying out a campaign promise to deport illegal immigrants, has argued that Los Angeles would have burned down if he had not acted quickly.
The Marines were armed with M4 rifles and wore face shields and the same shin guards used by baseball catchers. They stood guard at the top of steps leading to the entrance of the Roybal federal building, which houses immigration offices and where ICE has held some undocumented detainees. The building has been a flashpoint for protesters all week.
Just down the steps about 15 feet away, hundreds of protesters confronted the Marines, yelling in unison "Marines go home!" and "Shame! Shame!"
Several protesters hurled insults and invectives at the Marines, who did not react. Some in the crowd were telling them to take a knee or to join their demonstration. As of 4 p.m., there had been no physical altercation between the protesters and Marines.
Kai Ly, a 45-year-old a Los Angeles resident, was in the crowd.
"This is such a sad moment in time for the U.S.," Ly said. "It's sad to see that we're so divided that we have Marines heading off against protesters."
Antoinette Gutierrez, 36, was another Los Angeles resident protesting before the Marines.
"It's disgusting to have the military, to have the Marines, turned against citizens," she said. "It makes me embarrassed to be American."
(Reporting by Brad Brooks in Los Angeles; Editing by Mary Milliken and Deepa Babington)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Malay Mail
France says ‘non' to Trump's Greenland grab as Macron visits the Arctic
PARIS, June 15 — French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Greenland on Sunday, in a show of solidarity with Denmark meant to send a signal of European resolve after US President Donald Trump threatened to take over the island. Greenland is a self-governing part of the Kingdom of Denmark with the right to declare independence. Both the Greenland and Danish governments say it is not for sale and only Greenlanders can determine their future. President Donald Trump has said he wants the United States to take over the mineral-rich, strategically located Arctic island, and has not ruled out force. His vice president, JD Vance, visited a US military base there in March. Macron, the first foreign leader to visit Greenland since Trump's explicit threats to 'get' the island, was invited by the prime ministers of Greenland and Denmark. He has said his visit is meant to prevent any 'preying' on the territory. 'France has stood by us since the first statements about taking our land emerged. This support is both necessary and gratifying,' Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen wrote on Facebook days ahead of Macron's visit. Asked if Macron would deliver an explicit message to the United States during his visit, an adviser to Macron told reporters: 'The trip is a signal in itself,' without mentioning Trump. Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told RTL radio on Sunday: 'Greenland is a European territory and it is normal that Europe and notably France show their interest.' According to an IFOP poll for published on Saturday, 77 per cent of the French and 56 per cent of Americans disapprove of an annexation of Greenland by the US and 43 per cent of the French would approve using French military power to prevent a US invasion. Macron will visit the capital Nuuk, as well as a hydropower station funded by the EU and a glacier, and discuss Arctic security and climate change with his hosts. Though Denmark is an EU member, Greenland is outside the bloc. The French adviser said the visit would be an opportunity to discuss how to give Greenland's association partnership with the EU a 'new dimension'. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen made several visits to Paris after Trump's threats to seek French and European backing, and has placed orders for French-made surface-to-air missiles, in a shift of focus for Copenhagen. Enlisting the EU's only nuclear power is a way for Denmark, long one of Washington's most loyal allies in Europe, to project a form of hard power towards a suddenly more aggressive United States, said Florian Vidal of the Paris-based IFRI think tank. 'The Trump administration's more aggressive posture is a shock that makes the French vision of Europe, one that is more autonomous, appear more reasonable for Denmark,' he said. 'From a Nordic point of view, France is a military power that counts.' — Reuters
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
G7 leaders meet in Canada hoping to avoid Trump clash
GROUP of Seven (G7) leaders gather in the Canadian Rockies starting on Sunday amid growing splits with the United States over foreign policy and trade, with host Canada striving to avoid clashes with President Donald Trump. While Prime Minister Mark Carney says his priorities are strengthening peace and security, building critical mineral supply chains and creating jobs, issues such as US tariffs and the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine are expected to feature heavily. US ally Israel launched a barrage of strikes across Iran on Thursday, a blow to Trump's diplomatic efforts to prevent such an attack. The summit will take place in the mountain resort of Kananaskis, some 90 km (56 miles) west of Calgary. The last time Canada played host, in 2018, Trump left the summit before denouncing then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as "very dishonest and weak" and instructing the US delegation to withdraw its approval of the final communique. "This will be a successful meeting if Donald Trump doesn't have an eruption that disrupts the entire gathering. Anything above and beyond that is gravy," said University of Ottawa international affairs professor Roland Paris, who was foreign policy adviser to Trudeau. Trump has often mused about annexing Canada and arrives at a time when Carney is threatening reprisals if Washington does not lift tariffs on steel and aluminum. "The best-case scenario ... is that there's no real blow-ups coming out of the back end," said Josh Lipsky, the chair of international economics at the Atlantic Council think tank and a former White House and State Department official. Carney's office declined to comment on how the Israeli strikes would affect the summit. Diplomats said Canada has ditched the idea of a traditional comprehensive joint communique and would issue chair summaries instead, in hopes of containing a disaster and maintaining engagement with the US. A senior Canadian official told reporters Ottawa wanted to focus on actions the seven members - Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States - could take together. Canadian Senator Peter Boehm, a veteran former diplomat who acted as Trudeau's personal representative to the 2018 summit, said he had been told the summit would last longer than usual to give time for bilateral meetings with the US president. Expected guests for parts of the Sunday to Tuesday event include leaders from Ukraine, Mexico, India, Australia, South Africa, South Korea and Brazil, who all have reasons to want to talk to Trump. "Many will want to talk to President Trump about their own particular interests and concerns," Boehm said by phone. A senior US official said on Friday working discussions would cover trade and the global economy, critical minerals, migrant and drug smuggling, wildfires, international security, artificial intelligence and energy security. "The president is eager to pursue his goals in all of these areas including making America's trade relationships fair and reciprocal," the official said. The visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the Oval Office in February descended into acrimony and has served as a warning for other world leaders about the delicate dance they face in negotiating with Trump. But diplomats say the frustration of dealing with the Trump administration has made some keener to assert themselves. Canada has long been one of Ukraine's most vocal supporters. Trump came to power promising to end the war with Russia within 24 hours but diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have stalled. One Ukrainian official involved in preparations for the summit said hope had faded for a strong statement in support of Ukraine. Instead, success for Kyiv would merely constitute an amicable meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy. A European official said the G7 summit and the NATO summit in The Hague later in June provided an opportunity to underscore to Trump the need to press ahead with a sanctions bill put together by US senators alongside a new European package to pressure Russia into a ceasefire and broader talks. Trump's first international summit will offer some early clues on whether Trump is interested in working with allies to solve common problems, said Max Bergmann, a director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "The big overarching question here is, basically, is the United States still committed to formats like the G7? That is going to be the big test," Bergmann said. French President Emmanuel Macron has said he has a good, but frank relationship with Trump despite differences on subjects such as Ukraine or climate change. Macron said on Friday that a United Nations conference co-hosted between France and Saudi Arabia scheduled after the G7 to work towards a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians has been postponed.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
PGRS Labuan Mobilises for Sabah Polls, Expands Grassroots
LABUAN: Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (PGRS) is gearing up to support party candidates in the Sabah state election while working to strengthen the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition's presence and community engagement in Labuan. Labuan PGRS division chief Rosli Awang Damit said with the state election looming, the division has established an operations room to coordinate support for Labuan-based voters returning to Sabah, and will also deploy party machinery to strategic constituencies. 'Beyond assisting local voters, Labuan PGRS will also actively contribute to the party's campaign in Sabah by deploying our machinery to key constituencies,' he told Bernama after the party's 3rd Annual Conference here today. He said Labuan PGRS has made notable progress since its inception, overcoming initial challenges and scepticism through consistent efforts and sincerity in championing the people's interests. 'Initially, acceptance was difficult, but with perseverance, more people now support our core values - integrity, people-first policies and genuine development,' he said. Rosli said the division has established 22 active branches to date, with more than 3,000 members. 'Six new branches submitted membership forms during today's conference, reflecting growing public trust,' he added. He credited grassroots leaders for driving the party's growth, and lauded the youth and women's wings for their vital contributions.
