Latest news with #NationalDayofProtest
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
House Republicans launch an investigation into LA riots ahead of No Kings protests across US
Protesters in hundreds of big cities and small towns in the U.S. — except for Washington, D.C. — will take part in the No Kings rallies on Saturday. On the same day, the U.S. capital is hosting a military parade to mark the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary. This event coincides with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday. But the protesters want to take away focus from the military parade and instead try to put the focus on an anti-Trump narrative. 'We did not want to give him the excuse to crack down on counter-protesters in DC,' said Ezra Levin, co-founder of Indivisible, one of the groups behind the demonstrations. 'We didn't want to give him the narrative device to say we're protesting the military. Instead, we wanted to make him look as small and weak as he is, and protest everywhere else in the country.' What does Trump think of this? 'I don't feel like a king. I have to go through hell to get things approved,' he told reporters. 'A king would say 'I'm not going to get this,'' Trump said. 'He wouldn't have to call up (House Speaker) Mike Johnson and (Senate Majority Leader John) Thune and say, 'Fellas you've got to pull this off' and after years we get it done. No, no, we're not a king, we're not a king at all." Protests erupted across the U.S. earlier this week, in response to the raids against undocumented immigrants in Los Angeles. At times, the demonstrations took a violent turn as self-driving Waymo taxis were set on fire and concrete was hurled at law enforcement officers. Reports also indicated instances of looting and confrontations with the Los Angeles Police Department. The authorities also arrested individuals who used homemade explosives against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and LAPD. Levin said he thinks people assume 'a protest has to be everything. It's got to solve all your problems.' 'We need persistent, peaceful, people-powered organizing them on the ground in blue states, red states and purple states that allow people to push back against the escalating overreach from this administration,' Levin said. On Tuesday, Trump threatened to use 'heavy force' against any protesters who show up in Washington, D.C. Carlos Álvarez-Aranyos, founder of American Opposition, a political action committee that counters Trump, will be at the frontline of the protest in L.A. He and his group have participated in thousands of protests since Trump took office, including a National Day of Protest on February 5th. 'There has never been violence at any of them,' he said in a press release. Álvarez-Aranyos blamed the violence on Trump's immigration policies and his use of the National Guard to protect federal buildings and ICE officers. He said the deployed troops are 'neither authorized nor trained' to help ICE or deal with civilians. The raids on migrants in the country illegally are expected to continue for the next few weeks. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem joined masked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on one such raid Thursday. But the reports from this instance were conflicting. According to KTLA 5, an L.A. television station, ICE targeted a pregnant mother of four in Huntington Park while looking for her husband. The woman, Sabrina Medina, a U.S. citizen, saw 10 men, dressed in tactical gear and carrying rifles. ICE busted into her bathroom while she was in the shower and asked her to step out of the house. They held a warrant for her husband, David Garcia. But Medina said her husband's name is Jorge and he wasn't home. Noem stayed outside while ICE agents went through Medina's home. But Fox News' Bill Melugin pushed back against KTLA's report. 'I was at this operation with Noem. It wasn't targeting a 'pregnant mother', it was targeting her previously deported illegal alien Mexican husband who had been convicted of drug trafficking in February & had an attempted murder charge pleaded down to an assault conviction,' he wrote in a post on X. 'ICE had a criminal judicial warrant for his arrest, signed off on by a federal judge, because he illegally re-entered the U.S. after removal, which is a felony.' He also criticized Medina for not providing her husband's criminal history. ICE confirmed these details. The FBI has also stepped in several times, including for the arrest of a protester who provided 'bionic shield' face masks to suspected rioters over the last week. FBI agents also arrested an individual two days ago for assaulting a federal officer in L.A. U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli told Fox News, 'We have made it a huge priority to try to identify, locate and arrest those who are involved in organizing, supporting, funding or facilitating these riots.' L.A.'s sanctuary laws prevent local authorities, like the LAPD, from aiding in enforcing federal immigration policy. But in reality, 'California state prisons regularly cooperate with ICE ... (It) is required by law to identify people subject to deportation within 90 days,' according to NBC News. Three blue state governors — Kathy Hochul of New York, JB Pritzker of Illinois and Tim Walz of Minnesota — fielded heated questions from the House Oversight Committee. 'Sanctuary policies do not protect Americans,' said Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., who chairs the committee. 'They protect criminal illegal aliens.' A day later, the Oversight panel launched an investigation into the LA protests amid the federal government's efforts to deported undocumented migrants. The committee requested documents and communications from Gov. Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass' offices in a letter. The lawmakers wrote in a letter that Newsom and Bass discouraged Trump from deploying the National Guard to L.A. over the weekend after growing demonstrations. 'You falsely claimed that state and local law enforcement had protests under control, however, police were clearly unable to quell the violence in Los Angeles prior to the arrival of the National Guardsmen,' lawmakers wrote in the letter. It accused Newsom and Bass of championing sanctuary policies and choosing to not cooperate with federal authorities. 'You have also made it clear that you intend to block the objectives of the federal government, and defend aliens, regardless of their immigration status, criminal activity, anti-American views, or incitement to riot,' the letter added.
IOL News
15-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Artists march to union buildings over collapse of arts funding
Scores of artists, cultural workers, creative entrepreneurs, and citizens marched to Sechaba House, the Department of Arts and Culture on Wednesday to hand over a memorandum of demands. Image: Oupa Mokoena / Independent Newspapers President Cyril Ramaphosa, through his office, has confirmed having received a memorandum of demands made by a group of artists, who, on Wednesday marched to Union Buildings and the offices of the Department of Sports Arts and Culture, in Tshwane seeking the President's intervention over the collapse of institutions that fund the arts. On Wednesday, scores of South African artists, musicians, and representatives of arts organisations took their complaints against the country's department of sports, arts and culture to the union buildings, accusing the ministry of systematically failing them. At the centre of the cries by these practitioners is the alleged collapse of various funding institutions meant to benefit the country's arts, crafts, music and film industries. On Wednesday, these artists marched under the banner of the Cultural and Creative Industries Campaign, where they also accused the state and particularly Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie and officials of corruption and the total destruction of the art sector's funding institutions. Scores of artists, cultural workers, creative entrepreneurs, and citizens march to the Department of Arts and Culture to hand over a memorandum of demands. Image: Oupa Mokoena / Independent Newspapers "The Department of Sports, Arts and Culture is no longer fit for purpose. Programmes are stalled. Funding pipelines have collapsed. Institutions are being run by individuals with no demonstratable knowledge, credibility, or commitment to the creative industries and are compromised. The Ministerial conduct has prioritised political optics over public service," reads part of the group's memorandum. Speaking on behalf of the artists, African Transformation Movement spokesperson, Zama Ntshona indicated that the march to the union building has been weeks in the making. The protest forms part of a National Day of Protest and performance, reflecting months of dissatisfaction in the sector. 'As the cultural and creative practitioners, we have taken our grievances to the office of the president and met with Vincent Magwenya, " said Ntshona. Music industry activist, Tebogo Sithathu accused the minister of prioritising Formula One at the expense of local artists, among other things. Attempts to get comment from the department were unsuccessful at the time of going to print. Meanwhile, presidential spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya confirmed receipt of the memorandum and indicated that the office of the president will process these demands and refer the matter to the department for implementation of the necessary intervention. "Yes, the office of the President has received the memorandum which will be processed and referred to the department of Arts and Culture for consideration," said Magwenya. [email protected]
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Roanoke residents speak out at public hearings about budget, meals tax, and more
ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — Roanoke residents were in droves for public hearings Monday night. The crowd spilled into an overflow room as the council heard comments on the proposed city budget, a possible meals tax hike, and a potential raise in real estate tax. The City Manager has said this is a particularly hard budget year, referencing 'challenges and choices' that have to be made. Nearly an hour of public comment was devoted to the city budget and plans to give the city schools 'level funding.' That means the same funding they received last year. Former Council Member Trish White-Boyd stepped up to vouch for the budget plan, saying the city has already shown dedication to education. 'A goal that has required sacrifices such as adjustments in employee compensation, deferred maintenance and postponement of capital improvement projects,' she said. School Board Chair Dr. Eli Jamison made an appearance, noting that she rarely speaks at council meetings. She claimed she'd heard that the city is considering cutting a rainy day fund but argued instead that fund should be used to support schools now. 'We know the challenges are real, but if you sweep the funding balance, Roanoke Schools will have layoffs,' she said. 'We will have larger class sizes. We will not have the funds to finish Preston Park Elementary School.' Former school board member Mark Cathey said, with unpredictable changes at the federal level, this year is not the time to push the district into further cuts. The next largest group of speakers showed up to address a proposed meals tax increase. The city is considering raising it from 5.5% to as high as 7%. Roanoke residents demonstrate downtown during National Day of Protest Keith Liles, owner of Deb's Frozen Lemonade, said the cost of everything has risen for restaurants, from minimum wage to the cost of goods. 'With the current tariffs who knows what lemons will be tomorrow or in the future,' said Liles. He says raising the meals tax means he can't raise prices when his own cost of goods increase. 'The consumer, when they see a hot dog, a lemonade, and a bag of chips cost $6.85 on the menu board, and it comes to $7.75 when I ask for the money, it looks bad on me,' he said. Matt Bullington, who owns Texas Tavern, says the meals tax has been raised several times throughout the restaurant's history. For instance, it was hiked during the financial crisis. 'Every time the city gets in a financial burden or has a financial burden it comes to our industry to help bail them out,' he said. 'Many people are aware the past five years have been the hardest five years in the history of the modern restaurant industry,' he continued. 'I'm not exaggerating that. We've had COVID restrictions, rampant inflation, supply line problems, dislocation of everything.' City Council didn't make any decisions Monday. They're set to adopt a budget May 12. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hundreds gather outside Arkansas State Capitol for ‘Die-in' protest
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Ralliers at the state capitol took part in a National Day of Protest against the Trump administration by turning out for a 'Die-in' Saturday morning. Many people in the group made mock tombstones referencing multiple policies of the administration and several were critical of cuts coming from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Arkansas protestors speak out Saturday against Trump administration Some participants said they are anxiously watching the legal showdown over deportations between the administration and some members of the judicial branch of the federal government. 'Thank the ones that are helping us along with calling and letting the ones that are not representing us know that they need to honor their oath and that we the people are here and will remember,' protester Peri Doubleday said. Hundreds of rallies were planned across the country Saturday by dozens of groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LGBTQ+ advocates and more. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Miami Herald
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Anti-Trump '50501' Protesters Warn They're Fighting ‘Fascism'
Thousands of demonstrators surged through Manhattan on Saturday in a coordinated National Day of Protest that was organized by the grassroots 50501 Movement, carrying placards, chanting slogans, and calling for due process for deported Venezuelan migrants as they marched from the New York Public Library to Central Park. A coordinated wave of protests organized by "50501" is taking place across all 50 states on Saturday in opposition to President Donald Trump's policies since his return to office in January. The nationwide demonstrations, named for "50 protests, 50 states, one day," represent the latest in a series of actions by the rapidly growing movement that previously organized "Not My Presidents Day" in February and the global "Hands Off" protests earlier this month. U.S. authorities are carrying out an ongoing immigration crackdown under Trump, who has pledged to launch the largest mass deportation operation in the country's history. Thousands of people have been detained and deported since he took office, and the administration faces several lawsuits over the matter. The president has said most detentions and deportations would target individuals with criminal records. However, in recent weeks, there have been multiple reports of people without criminal convictions, and some with valid documentation, being detained for deportation. Fifth Avenue was once again the epicenter of political unrest on Saturday as thousands of demonstrators filled Midtown Manhattan, demanding justice for deported migrants and warning of what they called creeping authoritarianism in the United States. Two weeks after a major anti-Trump rally shook the city, protesters returned to the streets—marching from the New York Public Library, up Madison Avenue, and into Central Park. Many held signs reading "Hands Off Democracy" and "Bring Kilmar Home," referencing Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Abrego Garcia, who came to the U.S. illegally, was arrested in 2019 and accused of being a member of the MS-13 gang, which the Trump administration has designated a foreign terrorist organization. Abrego Garcia denied being a member of the gang, but two judges, in separate rulings, concluded that he was, based on confidential information provided to the court. He was shielded from deportation to El Salvador because he said he would be targeted by MS-13's gangland rivals. Abrego Garcia, who lived in Maryland with his wife and children, was deported to El Salvador after being arrested last month in what the Trump administration lawyers said was an "administrative error." His family denies any ties to gangs and Abrego Garcia has no criminal record in the U.S., although his wife accused him of domestic violence and obtained a restraining order against him. They have since been reconciled. He has been ordered to return to the U.S. by District Judge Paula Xinis, but the White House and El Salvador have pushed back. Tony, one of the marchers, held a placard showing the face of Andry, a Venezuelan hairdresser who he says disappeared after an encounter with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). "I saw they all came from videos of their mothers crying," he told Newsweek. "That's what impacts me most—that there are mothers who don't know where their sons are." Meanwhile, Joe, a protester from New Jersey, who asked to use only his first name, told Newsweek: "This—right here. Deporting people without due process. It could happen to you or me tomorrow. Just by being here at this protest, just by you filming this, someone could see my face—and I could disappear." Carrying a banner that read "Free Abrego Garcia Now," Joe said he was inspired by his father and uncles who fought in World War II. "They fought to defeat fascism, and I'm here today as their son and nephew to fight fascism." Abrego Garcia was deported under the Trump administration's invocation of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. The U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocked additional deportations under the Alien Enemies Act in a pre-dawn ruling on Saturday, responding to emergency filings from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The decision paused the removal of over 50 Venezuelan migrants from a Texas detention center after reports that some had already been loaded onto buses. "These men were close to spending their lives in a horrific foreign prison without ever having had any due process," Lee Gelernt, the lead ACLU attorney on the case, said. The Trump administration had been seeking to deport the Venezuelan men it accused of being members of Tren de Aragua, a criminal group it has designated as a terrorist organization, using powers contained in the Alien Enemies Act. Meanwhile, along the protest route in Manhattan, signs took aim not only at Trump but also at tech mogul Elon Musk, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The agency has overseen sweeping federal job cuts since January, prompting additional anger at what demonstrators describe as corporate control over democratic institutions. "We want to drive down the stock price of Tesla so that Elon Musk leaves X and comes back to Tesla," Katy, another protester, said. "They're ruining our democracy." Some marchers came with a different sense of urgency. "I'm here because these people were abducted illegally," Tony said before comparing the current political landscape to that of Chile during its dictatorship. "The Trump administration is behaving in the same terroristic way as Augusto Pinochet and others have in the hemisphere." The protest included a broad coalition of causes—immigrant rights, LGBTQ+ protections, veterans' benefits, Social Security, and the cost of living were all cited by demonstrators. A giant banner over 47th Street read "50501 = Democracy in Action," while Venezuelan and U.S. flags waved next to signs calling for due process and an end to "ICE terror." Hunter Dunn, national press coordinator for 50501, previously told Newsweek: "The 50501 movement has called for a National Day of Action, also known as a National Day of Community Action, not a National Day of Protest. There are plenty of demonstrations happening around the country as part of the day of action, but the primary focus of the day of action is speaking to the needs of your community." 50501 Movement recently wrote on social media platform BlueSky: "We have reason to believe that events on 4/19 and/or the 50501 Movement may be misrepresented by the Trump admin in an attempt to justify the use of military force." Rallies stretched from Miami to Seattle. In Washington, D.C., thousands chanted "Shame!" near the White House. In Fort Worth, Texas, traffic was shut down for blocks. And in Concord, Massachusetts, a man held a sign that read "Stop Fascism Now" at the site of the American Revolution's first battle. Update 4/19/25, 6:35 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information. Related Articles Photos Show Massive '50501' Anti-Trump Protests Across the CountryDemocratic Leaders Get Worst Polling Result in Over Two DecadesDem Strategist Warns Party Not to Turn Kilmar Abrego Garcia Into 'a Martyr'What Is Schedule F? Trump's Move to Fire 50k Federal Workers More Easily 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
