‘This is another agenda,' L.A. Mayor Bass says of National Guard involvement protests
With thousands of protestors and law enforcement clashing in downtown Los Angeles over weekend raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, Mayor Karen Bass held a press conference Sunday about the ongoing unrest.
Echoing statements made by Gov. Gavin Newsom and other state officials, Bass admonished President Trump and federal leaders for federalizing the state's national guard.
'Let's be real about this. This is about another agenda. It's not about public safety,' Bass said at the press conference. 'There is clearly no plan, and I want the people of Los Angeles to know that we stand with all Angelinos no matter where you were born.'
The mayor noted that the First Amendment allows residents to protest peacefully but does not grant demonstrators the right to violence and to vandalize property, and that those types of actions will not be tolerated.
Bass then pivoted to several workplace raids conducted by ICE agents on Friday that ignited demonstrations in the city.
'In the beginning, the administration said they were just looking for dangerous felons, violent people,' she said. 'It's hard to say that's what they found at a workplace and in a Home Depot parking lot. When this happens, it terrifies people. It sends a sense of fear and chaos in our city.'
Gov. Newsom pleads with U.S. Defense Department to 'rescind' National Guard
The mayor said that many of those detained have not been allowed to speak with legal counsel and that these arrests have left families separated and frightened of what will happen to their loved ones.
Taking questions from reporters, Bass said she's been speaking with federal officials for the last several days, though not the president himself, and expressed her disappointment, saying she was trying to prevent this situation from happening.
'I was trying to encourage the administration that if they deployed the National Guard in Los Angeles, it would create a sense of chaos. It's the last thing our city needs,' she said. 'Our city is still trying to recover from the wildfires.'
Asked if she's worried about the safety of law enforcement on the ground, the mayor said she is worried about everyone, from police to protesters to small businesses and the residents of the city.
The entirety of the mayor's press conference can be watched in the video player above.
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