Mayor Bass blames Trump's ICE raids for starting riots while claiming 'things in LA are calm'
Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass blamed the Trump administration's Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations for starting the riots that exploded over the weekend, while claiming "things in L.A. are calm" Monday.
The National Guard was deployed to Los Angeles County as anti-ICE protests continued to escalate Saturday. The unrest is centered in the city of Paramount, California, where protesters clashed with federal authorities, including ICE officers who were allegedly trying to conduct a raid at a local business.
As President Donald Trump cracks down on the violent protests that have erupted, some Democrats have gone so far as to blame him for the violent unrest.
"I just have to say that if you dial back time and go to Friday, if immigration raids had not happened here, we would not have the disorder that went on last night," Bass told CNN's "Situation Room" co-host Pamela Brown. "I will tell you that it is peaceful now, but we do not know where and when the next raids will be."
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Bass went on to argue that the government, by enforcing immigration law, will continue to incite protesters.
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"That is the concern, because people in this city have a rapid response network. If they see ICE, they go out, and they protest," she said. "And so it's just a recipe for pandemonium that is completely unnecessary. Nothing was happening here. Los Angeles was peaceful before Friday. When we find out when and where the other raids are going to happen, that will determine how the police respond."
CNN's Wolf Blitzer then juxtaposed how the state of California is preparing a lawsuit against the Trump administration for their deployment of the National Guard without their consent, with how the LAPD police chief has called out the protesters' use of violence. "So why not welcome more boots on the ground?" he asked.
"I think the issue here is state power and state sovereignty," she said, "What the governor is doing is separate from what's happening in the city - but what was the reason that the president had to take the power from the governor and federalize the National Guard?"
"The night before this action was taken, there was a protest that got a little unruly late at night. It was 100 people. Twenty-seven people were arrested. There wasn't a reason for this, that is the concern," she added. "And if there was, the way it happens traditionally is, is that requests are made on the local level of the governor to send National Guard troops. No request came from the city of Los Angeles. What has happened now is an entirely different situation."
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She went on to blast Trump for having immigration enforcement raids at all, knowing that it would spark blacklash.
"It's an escalation that didn't have to happen. Why were there raids? You know, we had been told that he was going to go after violent criminals. It wasn't a drug den. It was a Home Depot. It was places where people are working. So what was the point of doing this?" she asked.
"And then knowing that in a city like Los Angeles - and we had talked about this for a long time - that has a very sophisticated, long-term immigrant rights organizations and institutions, that if these random raids were going to happen, then there was going to be the danger of a backlash. And you add on to that the National Guard, and it felt like fuel for a fire that was unnecessary."
When asked about whether the National Guard is needed, she said they are not necessary.
"No, I don't think the National Guard is needed now. Things in L.A. are calm," the mayor claimed. "I will tell you that I'm saddened by the extent of the vandalism in the form of graffiti all through the downtown area, but it is important for people to know that even in downtown, this is isolated to a few streets. This is not citywide civil unrest taking place in Los Angeles, a few streets downtown. It looks horrible. People committed crimes. It is absolutely unacceptable. And those people that set cars on fire, or did other forms of vandalism will be sought to be arrested and prosecuted. This is not the way to promote a cause like immigrant rights."
Brown played a recording of local Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell condemning violence in the protests, saying he mentioned "officers being targeted with molotov cocktails, fireworks, rocks and other projectiles" and asked Bass what she is doing to support him.
Bass claimed she is "completely in sync with the police chief," and people who committed crimes would be held accountable, but again condemned Trump's ICE raids.
"The raids should stop, especially on people's workplaces," the mayor said, worrying about the impact on the economy and touting Los Angeles as a "city of immigrants."
"I worry about the people who were detained on Friday, whose families still have not been able to reach out to them. The lawyers have not been able to go in and deal with their clients. This is unprecedented. This has not happened before. And so again, you want to talk about chaos. Well, this is what contributes to chaos," she added, again placing the blame on the Trump administration.
Brown, however, questioned whether she is truly in sync with her police chief, noting that he says he and his forces are overwhelmed.
Bass claimed McDonnell is receiving support from the sheriff's department and other police departments, and that everything is either manageable or has already calmed down.
"I do not believe that he was describing a situation where we cannot bring it under control here. I think you should talk to him a little bit further," she said. "But what we are seeing, for example, there is nothing happening on our streets now. On Saturday, when this decision was being contemplated, there was nothing happening on our streets. As I mentioned that evening, there was a protest that got out of hand. It was a protest of 100 people. None of that warrants federal intervention, and that's my point."Original article source: Mayor Bass blames Trump's ICE raids for starting riots while claiming 'things in LA are calm'
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