Marines in LA as ‘No Kings' protest looms

Yahoo

13 hours ago

LOS ANGELES - Roughly 200 U.S. Marines moved into Los Angeles Friday to protect federal buildings amid continuing protests over ongoing immigration raids.
What we know
Maj. Gen. Scott Sherman, commander of Task Force 51, said the deployment of Marines in the LA area will free up National Guard troops, who have been primarily protecting federal property over the past week.
With the help of the Marines, National Guard troops will now serve a more protective role for federal agents conducting enforcement operations in the field.
"I would like to emphasize that the soldiers will not participate in law enforcement activities," Sherman told reporters during a morning briefing. "Rather, they'll be focused on protecting federal law enforcement personnel."
Sherman said some National Guard troops have already been doing protective work for federal agents conducting immigration enforcement activities, but they have not engaged in any police-type work or made any arrests or detentions.
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Marines began arriving around midday Friday at the federal building in West Los Angeles.
By mid-afternoon, more than a dozen were stationed outside the 17-story Wilshire Federal Building, replacing some members of the National Guard at various entrances. They mostly appeared to be checking tickets from members of the public who were there to renew their passports.
Sherman said the U.S. Marine Corps is responsible for guarding U.S. embassies overseas so they are well-trained on how to defend a federal building.
Their arrival comes a day ahead of the planned 'No Kings' protests which are scheduled to take place in Los Angeles and across the nation.
The No Kings Day of Defiance is expected to be the largest single-day mobilization since Trump returned to office, organizers said.
The protest coincides with a planned military parade in Washington, D.C. that celebrates the Army's 250th birthday and President Trump's 79th birthday.
"From city blocks to small towns, from courthouse steps to community parks, we're taking action to reject authoritarianism — and show the world what democracy really looks like," organizers said on the official No Kings website.
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The protests are in affiliation with the 50501 movement, a national movement made up of everyday Americans who stand for democracy and against what they call the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration. The name 50501 stands for 50 states, 50 protests, one movement.
Ahead of Saturday's events, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell, L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna and CHP Deputy Commissioner Ezery Beauchamp held a joint news conference at LAPD headquarters on Friday to discuss law-enforcement preparations aimed at keeping the numerous demonstrations peaceful.
Their message was clear: Law enforcement is fully prepared and will arrest anyone who commits a crime or incites violence.
The Source
Information for this story came from Maj. Gen. Scott Sherman and previous FOX 11 reports. City News Service contributed.