Latest news with #rioters
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Newsom Gambles in Showdown With Trump Over Riots
Its impossible to prove - and thats why it may be Gov. Gavin Newsoms and other California Democrats perfect attack line against President Trump. California Democrats, led by Newsom, are trying to pin the blame for a riots chaotic escalation on President Trumps decision to call in the National Guard to control it. Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and many other state and local politicians over the last 48 hours argued they had rioters in Los Angeles under control before President Trump usurped their authority by calling in the National Guard, a step they blame for inflaming tensions and causing even more violence and chaos. Throwing aside all previous efforts to reconcile differences with the president, Newsom on Sunday called Trump a "stone-cold liar" over claims the two exchanged in a phone call, told Trumps border czar Tom Homan to "come and get me, tough guy" for threatening to arrest public officials who impede ICE raids, and blamed the increasing violence in Los Angeles over the weekend on Trumps decision to deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles without his consent. Newsom on Sunday accused Trump of trying to create a chaotic spectacle and formally requested he rescind the National Guard order, which the president deployed in response to violent riots and attacks on Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during and after raids in the area. At least 118 immigrants were arrested in ICE operations across the city over the past week, with angry protesters and agitators gathering outside businesses believed to have been raided. Those crowds, only in the hundreds at first, lit a car on fire, waved Mexican and Palestinian flags, and hurled rocks at police with the activities escalating and attracting thousands of rioters over the weekend. While Newsom on Sunday claimed that local police could have handled the situation without federal intervention, videos playing out on the local news showed thousands of protesters taking over the 101 freeway in downtown Los Angeles and throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails at police officers stranded in vehicles that were damaged and immobilized by the onslaught. Before sundown Sunday night, rioters had destroyed several California Highway Patrol vehicles trying to re-open the freeway with hundreds of rocks thrown off freeway over-ramps. Its been 60 years since a president has sent in Guard troops to deal with civil unrest without the cooperation from a states governor, but back then, the circumstances were far different. President Lyndon Johnson in 1965 deployed the Alabama National Guard to protect a march led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. from Selma to Montgomery, the states capital, after George Wallace, the states segregationist governor, declined to provide the protection. Civil rights supporters argued Johnson was protecting the rioters from Wallaces callous disregard for their safety. This time around, support or opposition for the National Guards deployment is also deeply dividing the country, with Trumps critics arguing hes overstepping his presidential authority and instilling fear in immigrant communities with the aggressive ICE raids. Supporters, meanwhile, argue the Guard troops deployment is necessary to safeguard ICE agents, continue the crackdown on illegal immigration, and maintain peace. In Los Angeles Sunday, Newsom continued to blame the escalating violence on the National Guards deployment even though troops remained posted outside the Federal Building, which includes an ICE detention center, and didnt join in police efforts to control the riots in other locales. "We didnt have a problem until Trump got involved," Newsom asserted. "This is a serious breach of state sovereignty - inflaming tensions while pulling resources where theyre actually needed." "Rescind the order. Return control to California," Newsom demanded. Earlier Sunday, Newsom accused Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of trying to provoke unrest, arguing Trump was trying to create a spectacle and "hoping for chaos." Still, even Bass acknowledged that these were not peaceful protests - that two days of violent unrest had ensued before Trump called up the National Guard, a step she also described as inciting more violence. "Its not peaceful for people to throw rocks or bottles," she said. "Thats not peaceful." "I dont think theres any equivocating on non-violence," she added. "If you are going to entertain violence, if youre going to take over a freeway, then you are going to suffer the consequences of doing that." The problem with Newsoms claim of local control of the riot and Basss insistence on consequences is local authorities abysmal track record of responding to recent unrest that had nothing to do with federal interference. Over Memorial Day, a Los Angeles block party got so out of control that the mob vandalized train cars, businesses, and a police cruiser, injuring four police officers in the process. When the LA metros A Line stopped in South Los Angeles, troublemakers blocked trains, spray-painted the train cars exterior, banged on the windows, and set fire to a train-station roof. Police were called but made no arrests. "Our officers were heavily outnumbered and so the decision was, clear the area rather than make arrests," Los Angeles Police Department Commander Lilian Carranza told reporters at the time. The destructive scene wasnt a one-off. After the Dodgers World Series win over the New York Yankees, the celebration turned ugly with revelers setting a metro bus on fire, looting several shops and throwing fireworks at police, scenes described as "absolute chaos" in downtown Los Angeles, according to a witness. The lawlessness also isnt limited to Southern California. Last summer, partiers at least twice shut down the Bay Bridge in San Francisco around 2 a.m., with nearly 150 cars taking part in what police called a "side show" that involved setting off fireworks and cars doing donuts and other stunts. Just months earlier, a driver was viciously beaten and his car stolen during a similar takeover of the bridge. On the campaign trail last year, Trump pledged that he wasnt going to tolerate left-wing lawlessness on American streets and would use his presidential powers to shut them down. This weekend, the president made good on that promise, blaming the local Los Angeles police for a slow response and a failure to protect the federal ICE agents. "Waiting several hours of LAPD to show up - or them telling us that theyre not going to back us up until they have an officer in a dangerous situation - is something that just isnt workable when you have violent protests going on," Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told CBS News. The Trump administration, Noem added, isnt going to allow a redux of the 2020 summer of protests of George Floyds death when Black Lives Matters protests in Minnesota quickly spread unchecked throughout major cities across the country. Over Newsoms objection, Trump federalized 2,000 California Guard soldiers, and Hegseth warned that U.S. Marines were also on "high alert" to deploy, readying active-duty military to engage against U.S. citizens on U.S. soil. By Sunday morning, Trump was declaring victory and thanking the National Guard for restoring peace, even though they had yet to fully assemble. The speed with which Trump acted clearly demonstrates just how prepared and eager he is to have this fight. Trump doesnt have to run for reelection, and law and order and aggressive immigration enforcement only energize his base. Newsom, who has a long history of clashes with Trump, is in a far more tenuous position. The likely 2028 presidential candidate has tried to moderate his positions on everything from trans athletes in girls and womens sports to cutting back health insurance for illegal immigrants - albeit the latter was forced by a multi-billion budget shortfall. Newsom also is still waiting for Trump to provide the $40 billion in federal funds he requested to help Los Angeles rebuild from the wildfires. "Newsom was trying to move to the middle on immigration, so this complicates his plans," Steve Maviglio, a longtime Democratic political consultant, told RealClearPolitics. "Clearly, Trump wants this fight. Its clear that Newsom is squirming - trying to figure out how he can be moderate on immigration and supportive of law enforcement while trying to defend protests that are turning violent." "Its tricky, and thats why hes trying to portray this as an issue of states rights vs. federal intervention," he added. As California Democrats lined up squarely behind immigrants rights over the weekend, Newsom was under pressure to come up with his own strong, anti-Trump stance. Bass was one of the first out of the gates. On Saturday the mayor vowed to fight the immigration raids taking place across Los Angeles in an post that garnered more than 26 million impressions. "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 wrote on Friday. "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 mayors statement drew immediate pushback from conservatives, with many pointing out criticisms of her leadership failures and citys lack of preparedness and response to the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles earlier this year that killed 30 people. But dozens of prominent California Democrats backed up Bass. On Sunday, elected officials from the Bay Area to the San Diego southern border were condemning the ICE raids and Trumps National Guard deployment. "Our city is being targeted because were a sanctuary city," Rep. Maxine Waters, who has represented Compton in Congress for more than three decades, said in a media interview. "Trump hates us. He does not like the city. Hes trying to intimidate us, and he sent his guns in here on us … we cant be intimidated. Weve got to get the people out [protesting.] Weve got to get the elected officials out. Weve got to resist them." Garry South, a veteran Democratic operative who ran former Gov. Gray Davis successful campaigns, said Newsom has no choice but to push back on Trumps "unprecedented militarization of domestic policy." "[Newsoms] doing it not for political benefit but because its the right thing to do," South said. "Its a fraught moment for our democracy, for a president to turn troops loose on the American people, and we better have a lot of people who step up and speak up, so we dont turn into Chile under [Gen.] Pinochet." (Pinochet was a Chilean military officer and politician who was dictator of Chile from 1973 to 1981, using his power to persecute leftists and critics and resulting in the executions of 1,200 to 3,200 people, the internment of 80,000 and the torture of tens of thousands.) As of late Sunday night, protesters and rioters were still clashing with police and National Guard units using non-lethal efforts, such as tear gas and pepper-spray balls, to force the crowds to comply with their demands to move or disperse. Rob Stutzman, a GOP political consultant who served as deputy chief of staff to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, cautioned that the riots in Los Angeles this weekend are too fluid to predict political fallout. "Its impossible to calculate at the moment," Stutzman argued. "Will the National Guard ever clash with rioters? How long will this go on? Are ICE raids going to remain focused on criminals? All of this has to play out before we see how the politics will work." As night fell across Californias Southland, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell held a press conference pleading with rioters to stop the violence. The LAPD had made only 39 arrests on Saturday and Sunday but pledged to step up arrests in the hours and days ahead. McDonnell also denied that he failed to respond to ICE calls for assistance earlier in the weekend but argued that their response takes time to mobilize and is not "instantaneous." "This violence Ive seen is disgusting," he said. "Its escalated since the beginning of this incident. What we saw the first night was bad, but what weve seen subsequent - that is getting increasingly worse and more violent." McDonnell described commercial-grade fireworks being thrown at officers and rioters using hammers to break up cinder blocks to hurl at police. In the first two nights, McDonnell said they believe their forces would have been capable to handle the level of violence, but as it has escalated, he is now reassessing the need for the National Guard. "We are overwhelmed, as far as the number of people out there engaged in this type of activity and they types of things theyre doing," he concluded. Susan Crabtree is RealClearPolitics' national political correspondent.
India Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
FBI chief's 'hit a cop, you're going to jail' warning sparks online outrage
FBI Director Kash Patel faced backlash after issuing a stern warning to anti-ICE protesters in Los Angeles, cautioning that anyone assaulting cops or taking the law into their own hands would face jail time. "Hit a cop, you're going to jail. Doesn't matter where you came from, how you got here, or what movement speaks to you. If the local police force won't back our men and women on the thin blue line, we @FBI will," Patel had posted on X, warning the demonstrators after a wave of surprise immigration raids in Los Angeles on Friday triggered citywide protests, tense standoffs with police, and dozens of Social media users took a quick note of Kash Patel's warning to the protesters and hit back at the FBI chief, calling him out for the federal agency's different stance taken on the January 6 rioters, with one user saying, "unless you're doing it for Trump". Another user accused him of "overrunning an election".Most of the January 6 rioters were relieved of charges by US President Donald Trump after he took office for the second time this issued "full, complete and unconditional" pardons for around 1,500 people involved in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. The group included individuals convicted of violent acts. The move saw Trump fulfilling a campaign promise within the first few hours of his second online tirade against Kash Patel's stern warning continued as another user wrote, "But if you do it wearing Trump merch while rioting at the US Capitol, you'll get a pardon, right, Kash?" More people joined Patel's online bashing, with some of them sharing pictures and videos of rioters clashing with police on January 6, Kash Patel distanced himself from the pardoning of Capitol riots accused during his confirmation hearing as FBI director, saying, "I have always rejected any violence against law enforcement, and I have included in that group specifically addressed any violence against law enforcement on January 6"."I do not agree with the commutation of any sentence of any individual who committed violence against law enforcement," he from Patel, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also invited online ire for writing that the anti-ICE protests are "designed to prevent the removal of Criminal Illegal Aliens from US soil". Hegseth added, "a dangerous invasion facilitated by criminal cartels (aka Foreign Terrorist Organizations) and a huge NATIONAL SECURITY RISK".The Los Angeles raids were part of a broader push by the Trump administration to ramp up deportation efforts nationwide. Trump has vowed record-level removals of undocumented migrants, and White House aide Stephen Miller has reportedly urged ICE to make at least 3,000 arrests Watch
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
FBI Director Kash Patel faces heat for ‘hit a cop' comment: ‘Remember January 6?'
Following anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles, FBI Director Kash Patel has warned that anyone hitting a cop will land straight in jail. His comments have not gone down well with a section of the internet that urged Patel to remember the January 6 rioters who were pardoned by US President Donald Trump. Los Angeles has become the epicentre of major anti-ICE protests following a series of large-scale immigration raids by federal agents across the city. The operations sparked immediate backlash, with protesters clashing violently with law enforcement. Donald Trump ordered 2,000 National Guard troops to the streets of Los Angeles on Saturday in what the White House said was an effort to quell 'lawlessness'. The development came after two days of confrontations that had seen federal agents shoot flash-bang grenades and tear gas towards crowds angry at the arrests of dozens of migrants in a city with a large Latino population, as per an AFP report. Amid the riots in LA, FBI Director Kash Patel warned that anyone hitting a police officer would go to jail. 'Hit a cop, you're going to jail… doesn't matter where you came from, how you got here, or what movement speaks to you. If the local police force won't back our men and women on the thin blue line, we FBI will,' he posted on X. Kash Patel's post became the target of backlash as people reminded him of the January 6, 2021 riots in the US Capitol and how the administration's stance differed at that time from their stance today. On January 6, 2021, a mob of Donald Trump supporters attacked the US Capitol. More than 150 police officers were injured during the riots that ensued, and one – Brian Sicknick – died the following day. After being elected president in the 2024 United States presidential election Donald Trump pardoned about 1,500 people charged over the January 6 riots. Kash Patel's post on landing in jail for attacking a cop led people to point out the irony of his statement. 'But if you do it wearing Trump merch while rioting at the US Capitol, you'll get a pardon, right, Kash?' wrote one X user. 'This declaration evidently does not apply to the Trump supporters who attacked police on Jan. 6,' another wrote. 'Trump pardoned all the Jan 6ers who assaulted cops,' one X user reminded the FBI director, even as another said, 'Remember Jan 6th? Your dear leader pardoned hundreds who assaulted cops.'
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Acting ICE Director Addresses Los Angeles Protest Amid Nationwide Pushback
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons issued a statement on Saturday condemning the violence during protests in downtown Los Angeles that erupted during and after a series of federal immigration raids overnight. Why It Matters Since his inauguration in January, President Donald Trump has implemented sweeping change, mainly through executive orders, and has prioritized immigration control as a key pillar within the administration. Recently, the president utilized the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a wartime law that grants the commander-in-chief authority to detain or deport non-citizens. The implementation was originally blocked in federal court and sparked a contentious legal back-and-forth. Trump also campaigned on the promise of mass deportations and appointed Tom Homan as his administration's border czar to execute his agenda. Meanwhile, the confrontations in Los Angeles, a sanctuary city, highlight escalating disputes between federal immigration authorities and city officials over enforcement tactics, community safety, and sanctuary policies. Tensions ran high as ICE officers, carrying out an increased number of raids under federal policy, were met with anger and direct action from protesters and immigrant rights supporters. At least 44 people were arrested during the protests, during which officers used pepper spray and tear gas on the hundreds of protesters outside federal buildings, Reuters reported. What To Know Lyons addressed the assaults on federal law enforcement officers and criticized local officials for their response after demonstrators clashed with ICE agents—a confrontation that also resulted in the detention of David Huerta, a labor leader. The enforcement actions drew crowds, estimated in the hundreds, with tensions intensifying as protesters confronted federal officers. Lyons in a statement published in an X, formerly Twitter, post on Saturday afternoon described the scene as "appalling" and accused Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass of prioritizing "chaos and lawlessness over law enforcement." He also alleged that "over 1,000 rioters surrounded and attacked a federal building" and said it took more than two hours for the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) to respond to ICE officers' calls for assistance. Lyons stated that ICE personnel were in the city to arrest "criminal illegal aliens including gang members, drug traffickers and those with a history of assault, cruelty to children, domestic violence, robbery, and smuggling," and warned that "violent rioters will be held accountable if they harm federal officers." The LAPD during had declared an unlawful assembly near the intersection of Alameda and Temple streets after reports surfaced that some protesters had thrown concrete pieces at law enforcement. The department authorized the use of less-lethal munitions and initiated a citywide tactical alert, keeping all officers on duty. The protest eventually moved toward the Metropolitan Detention Center where further standoffs occurred. A protester stands in front of Los Angeles Police Department officers attempting to disperse a protest after federal immigration authorities conducted an operation on June 6. A protester stands in front of Los Angeles Police Department officers attempting to disperse a protest after federal immigration authorities conducted an operation on June 6. AP Photo/Jae C. Hong Protests Spread Across Nation Los Angeles may prove to merely be the flashpoint for wider action. New York has seen tensions bubbling in recent months, particularly around the controversial plan to allow ICE agents to operate out of Rikers Island, the largest prison in New York City. Tensions have escalated on Saturday as anti-ICE protesters gathered outside the agency's headquarters in Federal Plaza in Manhattan, attempting to block vans they believed to be carrying detained migrants. Video and photos have appeared on social media showing protesters standing in the way of the vans as they attempted to drive up the exit ramp from under the headquarters, and New York police attempted to form a barrier between protesters and ICE agents in order to avoid the scenes in Los Angeles. Those protests followed a similar incident in Chicago earlier this week, in which protesters tried to block a van departing from a South Loop office for the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP), which ICE operates. After a few minutes, the van drove away. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino on Saturday called for calm amid the protests and warned that authorities will not hesitate to act if they feel that protesters have gone too far, writing on X that "the Right to assemble and protest does not include a license to attack law enforcement officers, or to impede and obstruct our lawful immigration operations." He added: "We are thoroughly reviewing the evidence from yesterday's incident in Los Angeles and we are working with the US Attorney's Office to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice. The days of chaos ruling the streets are over. Either obey the law, or go to jail, there's no third option." Daniel Bongino, conservative radio show host, gives an opening statement during a hearing on Capitol Hill on June 10, 2020, in Washington, DC Daniel Bongino, conservative radio show host, gives an opening statement during a hearing on Capitol Hill on June 10, 2020, in Washington, DC Greg Nash/POOL/AFP via Getty Images What People Are Saying ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons said on Saturday in part: "These violent rioters will be held accountable if they harm federal officers, and make no mistake, ICE will continue to enforce our nation's immigration laws and arrest criminal illegal aliens. Sanctuary politicians would do well to remember that impeding our efforts only endangers their communities, law enforcement officers, and the detainees they claim to support." President of SEIU California and SEIU- United Service Workers West, David Huerta, who was injured during the protests, said in a statement on Friday: "What happened to me is not about me; This is about something much bigger. This is about how we as a community stand together and resist the injustice that's happening. Hard-working people, and members of our family and our community, are being treated like criminals. We all collectively have to object to this madness because this is not justice. This is injustice. And we all have to stand on the right side of justice." U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California posted to X on Friday: "Federal agents were executing a lawful judicial warrant at a LA worksite this morning when David Huerta deliberately obstructed their access by blocking their vehicle. He was arrested for interfering with federal officers and will face arraignment in federal court on Monday. Let me be clear: I don't care who you are—if you impede federal agents, you will be arrested and prosecuted. No one has the right to assault, obstruct, or interfere with federal authorities carrying out their duties." Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a statement: "The violent targeting of law enforcement in Los Angeles by lawless rioters is despicable and Mayor Bass and Governor Newsom must call for it to end. The men and women of ICE put their lives on the line to protect and defend the lives of American citizens. Make no mistake, Democrat politicians like Hakeem Jeffries, Mayor Wu of Boston, Tim Walz, and Mayor Bass of Los Angeles are contributing to the surge in assaults of our ICE officers through their repeated vilification and demonization of ICE. From comparisons to the modern-day Nazi gestapo to glorifying rioters, the violent rhetoric of these sanctuary politicians is beyond the pale. This violence against ICE must end." Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef) President and CEO Lindsay Toczylowski in a statement: "As attorneys, we are disgusted by DHS' blatant betrayal of basic human dignity as we witness hundreds of people held in deplorable conditions without food, water, or beds for 12+ hours. People targeted by ICE are being denied access to attorneys and family visitation, but they're not the only ones - our own members of Congress are being denied access to conduct their oversight duties. DHS is not above the law, but right now they are treating federal facilities like islands of lawlessness within our city. This is an urgent moment for our country to wake up to the terror ICE is inflicting on communities and take action." She added: "When our communities face attacks by ICE, our elected leaders must exercise their constitutional oversight authority to demand transparency and access to federal facilities even in the face of resistance. The administration is testing Los Angeles to see if we break under pressure, but we won't back down because our communities are worth defending with everything we've got. We implore our elected leaders to be the eyes, ears, and voice of the families being torn apart, the workers being ripped from their jobs, and the saving grace of the hundreds of people being held in unspeakable conditions in ICE custody." What Happens Next? Federal authorities have indicated that investigations into assaults on law enforcement during the Los Angeles protests are ongoing, with possible charges for those involved. At the same time, advocacy groups and officials continue to demand accountability from federal agencies amid calls for the release of detained protesters and further reviews of ICE's enforcement tactics.
BBC News
6 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Search for descendants of 1525 Bayham Abbey rioters
Historians are searching for living descendants of rioters who fought to save a Kent abbey from destruction 500 years than 100 villagers from Bayham near Tunbridge Wells took up arms in 1525 against a plan by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey to close the local monastery as part of religious Heritage now wants to find relatives of those who stormed Bayham Abbey, with 4 June marking the rebellion and closure of the monastery is seen by historians as a "harbinger" of the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII a decade later. Roy Porter, senior curator of properties for English Heritage, said the abbey was closed by Cardinal Wolsey in order to help fund his own religious colleges at Oxford and said: "This was about the cash. "What Cardinal Wolsey would say if he was standing here today was that he was transferring resources from a relatively small and insignificant abbey to something much bigger which would train the next generation of priests." More than 100 people carrying longbows, swords and clubs stormed the gatehouse and temporarily restored the abbey's canons - only to see them finally evicted just a week a result of the riot 31 of the men were indicted by the Crown. English Heritage wants to find descendants of the local tradesman, including shoemakers, labourers and only does this list contain familiar surnames of today such as Godfrey, Large and Palmer but it also gives an insight into the occupations of those whose livelihood depended on the religious Heywood was a rapier who sold fish inland and which appeared on the abbey menu, William Lamkyn was a tailor, while Stephen Palmer was a cordwainer who made Carter, English Heritage historian, said: "The Bayham Abbey uprising is a fascinating precursor to Henry VIII's religious reforms, a harbinger not only of the dissolution of the monasteries just ten years later, but also of the Pilgrimage of Grace."Anyone who thinks they may have a family connection to the rioters should contact English Heritage.
