Kamala Harris Says LA Protest 'Overwhelmingly Peaceful' Calls Trump 'Cruel'
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Former Vice President Kamala Harris defended the "overwhelmingly peaceful" protesters in Los Angeles while criticizing President Donald Trump's deployment of National Guard troops as a "dangerous escalation" and "cruel" on the third consecutive day of violent clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement.
Harris' statement notably did not condemn the violence that has characterized the ongoing demonstrations, marking a stark contrast with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass's explicit condemnation of destructive behavior.
Taking to social media, Mayor Bass posted a statement on Friday, saying, "This morning we received reports of federal immigration enforcement actions in multiple locations in Los Angeles."
"As Mayor of a proud city of immigrants, who contribute to our city in so many ways, I am deeply angered by what has taken place," Bass said. "These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city. My office is in close coordination with immigrant rights community organizations. We will not stand for this."
The protests, which began last week in response to federal immigration enforcement operations by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), have escalated into sustained confrontations involving rock-throwing, alleged Molotov cocktails, burning vehicles, and arrests across multiple Los Angeles locations.
My statement on what's unfolding in Los Angeles. pic.twitter.com/rujs8mrVPK — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) June 8, 2025
This is a developing story and will be updated when more information is available.
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- Atlantic
The White House Is Delighted With Events in Los Angeles
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The administration's decision to federalize 4,000 California National Guard forces, contrary to Governor Gavin Newsom's wishes, and to dispatch 700 active-duty Marines to the Los Angeles area, marks a break with decades of tradition under which presidents have limited their use of the military on American soil. If there are any internal misgivings about busting through yet another democratic norm, they haven't surfaced publicly. Indeed, officials at the White House told us they are satisfied with the way the L.A. confrontation has unfolded. They believe that it highlights their focus on immigration and law and order, and places Democrats on the wrong side of both. One widely circulated photo—showing a masked protester standing in front of a burning car, waving a Mexican flag—has been embraced by Trump supporters as a distillation of the conflict: a president unafraid to use force to defend an American city from those he deems foreign invaders. 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Los Angeles Times
38 minutes ago
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