Latest news with #LAriots
ABC News
an hour ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Los Angeles is a bastion of social justice protest but this time is different
Los Angeles has a long history of protesting over racial justice issues, but what has happened on the city's streets over the past week is, so far, very different from the riots of the early 1990s. In the LA riots of 1992 the city erupted into what was almost a week of violence that would result in more than 50 people losing their lives. Scholars now describe that rioting as an "explosion of rage and frustration" that had been building. On March 3, 1991, a man named Rodney King led police on a high-speed chase before police officers caught up with him on a street in San Fernando Valley. From there, a scene played out that would set in motion the events that led to one of the biggest civil disruptions in modern US history. Because living nearby was a man who had a new video camera, and after being awoken by the noise outside, he pressed the red record button. He captured nine minutes of grainy vision that would become the first widely seen video of what many believed was obvious police brutality in the United States. In the vision, King, a black man, is laying face down on the ground as the white police officers surrounding him take turns to kick and beat him. The video was undeniable and, for many, it was the "smoking gun" confirming what they already knew about the conduct of officers from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) — an organisation that had a notorious reputation at that time. But a year later, at 3pm on a warm Wednesday, a jury acquitted those police officers of excessive force and that decision set Los Angeles alight. "People in LA did not take to the streets when that footage first saturated the airways. It wasn't just hooligans looking for any reason to go off," said Jody Armour, a professor of law at the University of Southern California. Professor Armour said when "that promise of equal justice seemed so flagrantly flouted" by the jury, "all hell broke loose in LA". The city's law enforcement ranks were overwhelmed and its mayor, as well as California's governor, made a call for help. National Guard troops were soon on the streets of Los Angeles. Right now, there are federalised National Guard troops and soon there will be US Marines — members of the United States military — on the ground in Los Angeles to patrol what is still a mostly peaceful protest. Local officials did not ask for those forces to be there. In fact, they have publicly and legally opposed their presence. In 1992 the National Guard was called in to help control widespread, destructive rioting, but right now those forces appear to be escalating the situation, and some experts are warning it is all in the name of "political theatre". There are some key differences between the situation playing out in Los Angeles right now and the 1992 riots. Most notably, the scale of the protests compared to the scale of the response. Professor Armour was in LA in 1992 and remembers very clearly the city on fire. "In 92, where I am now in View Park, … there were flames across the skyline. Three or four days in, there were smoke and flames at 12 or 13 different places across the skyline. I'm looking now, there are no flames anywhere," he said. "Traffic was shut down everywhere. I constantly heard helicopters humming overheard. Right now I'm not hearing helicopters. In 1992, after nearly a week of rioting, more than 50 people had lost their lives and more than 2,000 had sustained injuries. Thousands of people were arrested, it's estimated 1,100 buildings were affected and the total bill of property damage was more than $US1 billion (about $1.5 billion). The United States has seen several widespread racial justice protest movements and moments since then, including the birth of Black Lives Matter. In May 2020, Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin put his knee on the neck of George Floyd and kept it there for more than nine minutes. The police officer would eventually be found guilty of murder, with videos of the arrest pored over by the prosecution. The court heard that during the initial four minutes and 45 seconds of the available videos, Mr Floyd said, "I can't breathe," 27 times. Those were the last words uttered by Eric Garner, who was killed by New York City police officers in 2014 and became the rallying cry of the Black Lives Matter movement. On the day of Mr Floyd's death, protests broke out across multiple US cities, including in Los Angeles, where the National Guard was sent it to quell the demonstrations. At that time, Governor Gavin Newsom was the one to send in the troops and he had the support of the mayor to do it. Yale historian Elizabeth Hinton, who wrote a book about race-related uprisings and police violence, said the 2020 protests were characterised as violent, but, for the most part, were not like that in reality. That was even truer today, she said. This time, protests have been sparked by Donald Trump's immigration raids. They began on Friday after US Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) agents made dozens of arrests across the city over alleged immigration violations. Unlike the 1992 riots, protests have been mostly peaceful and have been confined to a roughly five-block stretch of downtown LA, a tiny patch in the sprawling city of nearly 4 million people. There has been vandalism and some cars set on fire, but no homes or buildings have burned. More than 190 people have been arrested over the past several days of protests, according to the most recent update from police. The vast majority of arrests were for failing to disperse, while a few others were for assault with a deadly weapon, looting, vandalism and attempted murder for tossing a Molotov cocktail. These protests aren't over and, as more break out in other cities across the country, authorities appear to be preparing for a large day of demonstrations on Saturday. But at this stage, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has said the LAPD can manage the protests in the city without the need for troops. Professor Armour warned circumstances could quickly change and said the federal troops brought "an air of menace". "It is more sporadic now, but that doesn't mean that it cannot gain momentum," he said. "In downtown and some other places, there are pockets of real resistance and conflict, but when we're talking about [the] George Floyd [protests] five years ago or 1992 even, it was more widespread. It's a very different scale." Professor Armour called the federal response "political theatre". On rare occasions, presidents have invoked an 18th-century wartime law called the Insurrection Act, which is the main legal mechanism that a president can use to activate the military or National Guard during times of rebellion or unrest. The last time it was used was in 1992 when troops were deployed to Los Angeles to help control the riots. Presidents have also relied on another federal law that allows them to federalise National Guard troops under certain circumstances, which is what Mr Trump did on Saturday. Mr Trump is said to be considering invoking the Insurrection Act to give troops on the ground in LA powers to participate in law enforcement activities. That's something that would be seen as a dramatic escalation and that Mr Newsom would take issue with. The back and forth between Mr Trump and the Californian governor, who is widely predicted to make his own run at the presidency in 2028, has been escalating since the weekend. Mr Trump has been defending his decision to intervene, saying: "You have violent people, and we're not gonna let them get away with it." Following those remarks, Mr Newsom hit back, saying: "Trump wants chaos and he's instigated violence." He asked Mr Trump to stand down the National Guard, calling it a "serious breach of state sovereignty". "This is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism that threatens the foundation of our republic," Mr Newsom said. On Monday, Mr Newsom announced California was suing Mr Trump. A hearing on the matter is due to happen on Thursday, local time. Donald Trump and his base love military might. Troops on the ground and images of the United States's strength are part of his political messaging. Professor Armour said he believed the decision to send troops to Los Angeles when they were not at all necessary was strategic. "Of the two pillars he was elected on, one big pillar was, 'I'm going to get aggressive on immigration, law enforcement. I'm going to be super aggressive,'" he said. "It doesn't translate well locally in Southern California and LA — we're very pro-immigrant, we're very concerned about looking out for immigrant rights — but that is a local attitude that's very different than the national one … at least according to Trump. "It's political theatre. This is his chance to say that, 'In LA you have a bastion, a pocket, of anti-enforcement of immigration laws, but I have a mandate from the people. I'm going to have to override this resistance.' "I think a lot of people in his base will eat that up." Trump has pledged to launch the "largest deportation operation in US history", but it's worth noting ICE records show the Biden administration deported more people from the United States than Mr Trump did during his first term. There are other examples where presidents have used National Guard troops to enforce federal decisions that are at odds with state or community norms, even if the values are very different. In 1957, US president Dwight Eisenhower signed an executive order that federalised the National Guard in Arkansas. Years earlier, the Supreme Court had ruled in the Brown V Board of Education legal case that racially segregated schools were "inherently unequal", but when the deadline for integration arrived, there was resistance in Little Rock, Arkansas. That forced the president to take control. "With Executive Order 10730, the President placed the Arkansas National Guard under federal control and sent 1,000 U.S. Army paratroopers from the 101st Airborne Division to assist them in restoring order in Little Rock," US national archives read. In the iconic images from the so-called "Little Rock crisis" federal troops are seen escorting black students safely into a school building. A year later, the first black student graduated from Little Rock Central High School. There have been very few times in US modern history that the Insurrection Act has been invoked, but Donald Trump is a president who consistently breaks norms. His potential use of that mechanism to empower federal troops could escalate the situation in Los Angeles even further, but after a week of protests, local authorities still maintain there was never any need for them. ABC/AP
Fox News
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
LA Mayor Bass rips Trump, claims city part of 'national experiment' to test federal power amid anti-ICE riots
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass during a press conference on Wednesday claimed the LA riots were "provoked by the White House," going so far as speculating the city is part of a national experiment to determine how much power the federal government has. Bass claimed local officials initially heard the administration was searching for violent felons, gang members and drug dealers. Yet, she alleged federal agents were raiding workplaces, "tear[ing] parents and children apart" and "run[ning] armored caravans through [the] streets." Her comments came after protests against immigration enforcement escalated into fiery riots over the weekend, prompting President Donald Trump to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops and at least 500 Marines to the area. Local officials this week enacted a nightly curfew and announced hundreds of arrests, following the destruction of numerous local businesses and violence against police. "This was provoked by the White House," Bass said. "The reason why—we don't know. I posit that maybe we are part of a national experiment to determine how far the federal government can go in reaching in and taking over power from a governor, power from a local jurisdiction, and frankly, leaving our city and our citizens… in fear. … You're not trying to keep anyone safe, you're trying to cause fear and panic." She did not denounce the violent rioting during the press conference, alleging the rioting issue is contained to six square miles. "@MayorOfLA suggests things won't be 'peaceful' in Los Angeles until the Trump Administration stops enforcing immigration law and removing violent criminal illegals from the streets," the White House wrote in a response on X. "Why are these Radical Left lunatics so obsessed with defending criminals who have no right to be here?" The LA mayor was joined by multiple surrounding mayors and local officials from 30 cities, who argued Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) should not be enforcing the law in California. "We want the National Guard out of our region," said El Monte Mayor Jessica Ancona. "We want the military out of our region. They have no business here. And we also want ICE out of our cities. We need to keep our families safe." Downey Council Member Mario Trujillo and South Gate Mayor Maria Davila noted ICE raids continued in their cities on Wednesday. Huntington Park Mayor Arturo Flores claimed the Trump administration's actions were unconstitutional, and asked to send a message directly to the Marines on the ground. "The people that are here who have been called foreigners are not foreigners. These are Americans," Flores said. "When we lifted our hands, we swore the oath to defend the Constitution and to defend this country. That oath was to the American people. It was not to a dictator, it was not to a tyrant, it was not to a president. "It was to the American people and the people that are here … Whether they have a document or they don't, you're dealing with Americans," Flores said. "So please remember that if you're ever put in a situation or asked to do something." Bass later added Marines "are trained in warfare on foreign lands, not domestic," and said she did not know what role they could play without the ability to make arrests. Paramount Mayor Peggy Lemons said her city created a special fund Tuesday night that will financially help immigrant families. "The city council and staff are working tirelessly to develop other means of support and assistance, doing more to support our community," Lemons said. "We will also be seeking out our residents who have been directly impacted so that we may hear from them and provide direct support." The White House and Department of Defense did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.
Fox News
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
'The View' co-host warns cast mates not to 'demonize' ICE and military personnel over LA riots
"The View" co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin warned her co-hosts on Wednesday against "demonizing" Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in their discussion about the LA riots. "I think Trump is not doing this just for optics," co-host Sunny Hostin said. "I think that this is a test case so that he can dismantle some of our institutions. I think it's a power grab. I think he is trying to use the might of the military to suppress people's rights. I think that is very clear. When you use the military against your own citizens, that is a sign of fascism. That is just the truth." The co-hosts continued to criticize the president for his decision to send in troops to aid law enforcement. Griffin then urged the co-hosts to be careful not to "take the bait," as Hostin insisted that she didn't think it was bait. "I haven't made my point yet," Griffin said. "The ICE agents, those are nonpartisan actors, for the most part, who signed up for jobs and served under multiple administrations. They did not necessarily sign up to be doing this, and they're following an order of the commander-in-chief." Co-host Whoopi Goldberg and Hostin said they weren't demonizing them. "We're saying this is the result of ICE, ICE's actions," Hostin insisted. The liberal co-host blamed ICE for the crisis in LA on Tuesday. Griffin added, "I think it's important to remember it's the commander-in-chief that made the decision. They're following the orders." Goldberg then made a seeming comparison to Germany in the 1930s, saying, "Where have you heard that before? 'I'm just following orders from the commander-in-chief.'" Goldberg agreed with co-host Sara Haines, who said she didn't blame the National Guard or the Marines, but said they needed to be careful. "I think it's important we remember statistically the National Guard, the Marines and even these ICE agents… half of them probably have your political views. Half of them are probably pretty uncomfortable with these orders. They have families at home. They have bills to pay, and they're questioning should I walk away from this," Griffin pushed back. Goldberg agreed and then went on to say construction companies and more would have a harder time getting people to work without immigrants. Hostin insisted on Monday that being undocumented was not illegal during a conversation about the riots in LA.
Telegraph
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Democrats anoint Gavin Newsom as new party leader
Democrats are lining up to throw their support behind Gavin Newsom and anoint him as the new leader of the party in the wake of the LA riots. Donald Trump called for the arrest of the California governor earlier this week, prompting Mr Newsom to call his bluff – which attracted widespread praise from Democrats. A former Los Angeles mayor commended him for 'standing up to a bully', while other Democrat figures said he had gone 'toe-to-toe' with Mr Trump and was 'fighting' for the state. Commentators now think arresting Mr Newsom would turn him into a 'martyr' and cement his status as Mr Trump's most effective critic. The 57-year-old governor, who on Tuesday night accused the US president of using the unrest to mount an illegal power grab in his state, has emerged as the figurehead of a party struggling to stand up for itself following last year's crushing election defeat. Some Democrats are frustrated by the lack of 'resistance' from current party leadership, who fear isolating voters that flipped for Mr Trump by attacking the president. Until his face-off with Mr Trump, Mr Newsom had been no exception to the problems gripping the party, with his poll ratings declining and a diminishing reputation as what Mr Trump would describe as a 'radical Left lunatic'. 'I've criticised him in the past… but I commend him for what he's doing,' Antonio Villaraigosa, a former mayor of Los Angeles, told Politico. 'You stand up to a bully. You don't let a bully take away our First Amendment rights.' 'We've been waiting to feel like the governor is standing up and fighting for California and every Californian, and he seems to be doing that,' said Lorena Gonzalez, the California Labour Federation leader. 'Democrats are looking for leadership' Larry Ceisler, a Democrat strategist, told The Telegraph Mr Newsom was 'the first governor who has been given the opportunity to go toe-to-toe with President Trump and his advisers'. 'Democrats are just looking for leadership… Newsom becomes top of mind because his slot is based on real-time substantive and consequential stepping-up to confront a true crisis,' he said. 'He gave a kick-off to his 2028 campaign,' Steve Bannon, Mr Trump's former chief strategist, told The New York Times. Mr Newsom is often spoken of as a frontrunner to claim the Democrats' presidential nomination ahead of the next election. Mike Madrid, a California-based Republican strategist, said he believed the protests were helping Mr Newsom, adding: 'Especially if he gets arrested.' The Wall Street Journal, the centrist newspaper owned by Rupert Murdoch, said this week that the governor had emerged as 'leader of the opposition'. Before Mr Trump sent the National Guard into Los Angeles last weekend, Mr Newsom was thought to have tarnished his brand among party allies by attempting to broaden his appeal ahead of a potential presidential run. He has hosted a number of figures aligned with Mr Trump's Maga movement on his new podcast, including Mr Bannon and Right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, and labelled biological men participating in women's sports 'deeply unfair'. Mr Newsom labelled Mr Trump a threat to democracy in a presidential-style address on Tuesday evening, where he spoke straight into a camera for around nine minutes. 'This is about all of us. This is about you. California may be first, but it clearly will not end here. Other states are next,' he said. 'Democracy is next. Democracy is under assault right before our eyes, this moment we have feared has arrived.' Mr Newsom's administration filed an emergency motion with the courts on Tuesday, arguing Mr Trump overstepped his legal authority by mobilising the National Guard and US marines in California in response to the protests. 'Thanks to our law enforcement officers and the majority of Angelenos who protested peacefully, this situation was winding down and was concentrated in just a few square blocks downtown,' he said. 'But that's not what Donald Trump wanted. He again chose escalation, he chose more force. He chose theatrics over public safety,' Mr Newsom continued, labelling the president a 'failed dictator' He claimed Congress had failed to stand up to Mr Trump as he took a 'wrecking ball' to the Constitution and 'our founding fathers' historic project'. 'There are no longer any checks and balances… The rule of law has increasingly been given way to the rule of Don,' he said. Mr Newsom concluded with a call to arms for his party and disaffected voters: 'What Donald Trump wants most is your fealty, your silence, to be complicit in this moment. Do not give into him.' Mr Trump and his 'border tsar', Tom Homan, have previously suggested Mr Newsom should be arrested – something the governor has quickly embraced. 'He's a tough guy. Why doesn't he do that? He knows where to find me,' he said of Mr Homan on Sunday. 'That kind of bloviating is exhausting. So, Tom, arrest me. Let's go.' Mr Trump made political capital out of his own legal problems two years ago, when he returned from the political wilderness following a series of criminal indictments he blamed on a 'weaponised' justice system.
Fox News
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Senator launches investigation into Democratic org over potential support for LA rioters
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., launched an investigation into a left-wing group in California that he says may be financially supporting violent protests in Los Angeles. Hawley wrote a letter to the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) on Wednesday, saying the organization may have an "alleged role in financially and materially supporting" protests and riots in Los Angeles, which he described as "coordinated." "Who is funding the LA riots? This violence isn't spontaneous. As chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime & Terrorism, I'm launching an investigation to find out," Hawley announced on social media. The letter, addressed to CHIRLA Executive Director Angelica Salas, notes that "credible reporting" has indicated that the organization has provided "logistical support and financial resources to individuals engaged in these disruptive actions." "Let me be clear: bankrolling civil unrest is not protected speech. It is aiding and abetting criminal conduct. Accordingly, you must immediately cease and desist any further involvement in the organization, funding or promotion of these unlawful activities," Hawley wrote. The letter additionally requests that CHIRLA provide internal communications relating to any protest planning or funding, as well as financial documents related to the same, including third-party contracts, vendor agreements and various other business relationships. Hawley also requested travel records for individuals involved with the organization if they have been reimbursed by CHIRLA, as well as the organization's donor lists. IRS records obtained by Fox News show that CHIRLA has received $34 million in government grants, including three from former President Joe Biden's administration for $750,000. President Donald Trump has already cut funding for the organization. Nevertheless, CHIRLA still receives state and city grant funds to support its lawyers fighting against deportations. CHIRLA is also responsible for creating the so-called Rapid Response Network, the hotline immigrants use to report ICE raids. The network then sends text alerts, giving migrants an opportunity to hide. CHIRLA did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Trump has been vocal about his belief that many of the rioters and protesters in Los Angeles are professional agitators rather than real protesters. "The people that are causing the problem are professional agitators. They're insurrectionists. They're bad people. They should be in jail," Trump said. California Gov. Gavin Newsom swiftly responded to Trump's comments in a post on social media. "The President of the United States just called for the arrest of a sitting Governor," Newsom wrote. "This is a day I hoped I would never see in America. I don't care if you're a Democrat or a Republican this is a line we cannot cross as a nation — this is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism."
