In the protests against the US government's migration policy in Los Angeles, the police have started to push back demonstrators. On Monday afternoon (local time), hundreds of people gathered in front of a federal building in the city center to protest against President Donald Trump's migration course. The protests were initially peaceful, as a reporter from the German Press Agency observed. However, the police later began to push the demonstrators back and to gradually clear streets around the building.
Individual demonstrators threw water bottles, whereupon the police reacted with the firing of rubber floors. Officials called protesters to leave the area and go home. One of the police officers said: “It's chaotic, but we have it under control.”
Increased missions by the US immigration authority ICE triggered the first protests in the Los Angeles area at the end of last week. According to the authorities, dozens of people were arrested by the raids. Critics accuse the Federal Government to specifically stir up fear with martial measures. The protests are directed against Trump's hard immigration policy and the use of ICE units in civilian residential areas.
Trump's extreme reaction to the protests
In response to the demonstrations, Trump had already mobilized at least 2,000 soldiers from the National Guard at the weekend – and on Monday 2000 more. On Monday, the U.S. Department of Defense also ordered around 700 marine fans from the regular armed forces to Los Angeles. Both are a serious escalation. Soldiers are trained for military missions and the war, not for police tasks such as control of protests in American city centers.
Trump also decided to use the national guards in a highly unusual step against the will of the California governor Gavin Newsom. In the United States, states normally have control over the national guard. If there is a war or national emergencies, the US President can take command. The National Guard is a military reserve unit and part of the US armed forces.
Sharp criticism from Newsom
Newsom criticized the troop march initiated by Trump on the sharpest. “This is not about public security. It is about stroking the ego of a dangerous president,” complained the Democrat on the X. Newsom platform, the recent announcement described as reckless and senseless “and disrespectful towards our troops”. The first 2,000 national guards would not have received any food or water. “Only about 300 are in use – the rest sits unused in federal buildings without having any commands.”
Trump apparently did not seem to be arrested by California's governor. “I would do it if I was Tom. I think it's great,” Trump said on Monday in front of journalists when asked whether his border protection officer should arrest Tom Homan Newsom. Gavin Newsom is “in the spotlight,” said Trump when he arrived in the White House. “But I think it would be a great thing.”
Newsoma did not live up to his task in the containment of the clashes in Los Angeles. “I see, I like Gavin Newsom, he's a nice guy – but he is extremely incompetent, everyone knows that,” said Trump.
The US President later said that he “does not want civil war”. But it would “take place a civil war if you leave it to people like him”.
