LA protests: Gavin Newsom says ‘democracy is under assault' from Donald Trump
California governor
Gavin Newsom
made the case in a televised address on Tuesday evening that
US
president
Donald Trump
's decisions to send military forces to immigration protests in
Los Angeles
have put the nation at the precipice of authoritarianism.
Mr Newsom urged Americans to stand up to Mr Trump, calling it a 'perilous moment' for democracy and the country's long-held legal norms.
'California may be first, but it clearly won't end here,' Newsom said, speaking to cameras from a studio in Los Angeles. 'Other states are next. Democracy is next.'
'Democracy is under assault right before our eyes – the moment we've feared has arrived,' he added.
READ MORE
Mr Newsom spoke on the fifth day of protests in Los Angeles against federal immigration raids that have sent fear and anger through many communities in southern California. He said Mr Trump had 'inflamed a combustible situation' by taking over California's National Guard, and by calling up 4,000 troops and 700 Marines.
'Authoritarian regimes begin by targeting people who are least able to defend themselves,' Mr Newsom said in his speech. 'But they do not stop there. Trump and his loyalists thrive on division because it allows them to take more power and exert even more control.'
'I ask everyone to take the time to reflect on this perilous moment,' he said, 'a president who wants to be bound by no law or constitution, perpetrating a unified assault on American traditions.'
Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass announced at a news conference Tuesday evening that the city would begin imposing a curfew in downtown Los Angeles as part of its strategy to quell the protests. The curfew began at 8pm local time, running until 6am on Wednesday. The Los Angeles Police Department said it had made 'mass arrests' in the hours after the curfew came into effect. The curfew is expected to last for several days.
This article originally appeared in
The New York Times
, additional reporting by the Guardian
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