Chaos Erupts in LA After Trump Sends Troops to Deal with Protesters
Synopsis
Meta Description: Demonstrations in LA become violent after President Trump sends the National Guard after immigration raids this weekend. Things really got nasty in Los Angeles this weekend. Demonstrators started after immigration officials did…
Meta Description: Demonstrations in LA become violent after President Trump sends the National Guard after immigration raids this weekend.
Things really got nasty in Los Angeles this weekend. Demonstrators started after immigration officials did raids, and then President Trump sent in the National Guard. Now, streets are filled with tear gas and cars on fire.
How This All Started
So this is what happened. On Saturday, immigration authorities were patrolling around LA County in raids - you know, looking for illegal individuals. That really upset a lot of people, and so they started gathering to protest.
Instead of sending California away to take care of it, Trump decided to send National Guard troops there. He didn't even go through the courtesy of asking the governor first, which never actually happens. That only made everybody angrier.
Protesters Burn Cars
By Sunday, things had turned out of control. Some of the protesters came across these Google self-driving cars - the Waymo ones you sometimes see driving around LA - and completely vandalized them. They broke the windows, spray-painted them, and then torched at least four of them.
Other people just walked straight onto the 101 freeway. That is one of the main highways through downtown LA, so I'm sure you can imagine what happened. Traffic was completely stopped while hundreds of people just stood on the highway.
Police Started Shooting
The police were not messing around either. They started firing tear gas and rubber bullets into crowds near this federal office building downtown. One TV news reporter said a canister of gas actually hit their car while they were trying to cover the story.
You may be able to hear the whizz of those bang grenades screaming by and helicopters flying overhead. Police were trying to herd groups of protesters in an effort to keep them contained, but people were still popping up elsewhere all over the city.
LA's Mayor Hates Trump So Much
LA Mayor Karen Bass was extremely distressed about the entire affair. Basically, she maintained that Trump had caused all this chaos by deploying troops when nobody had requested that of him.
"When you drive armored trucks through our neighborhoods, people get scared," she responded during a news conference. She is of the opinion that most individuals in LA now reside in fear of what may befall them or their loved ones.
But she was not happy with some of the demonstrators either. She indicated that rocks and bottles are not peaceful, and blocking highways is not peaceful either.
California's Governor Fighting Back
Governor Gavin Newsom was more upset than that. He penned an official letter stating that Trump to take his troops and leave. "We were doing fine until you showed up," was basically his message.
Newsom informed Trump that he can't simply send military personnel into California without being asked. He referred to it as a massive violation of the way states are supposed to work.
Everyone's Taking Sides
Of course, Republicans think Trump did the right thing. House Speaker Mike Johnson explained that California wasn't doing its job, and therefore Trump needed to step in.
But Democrats are furious. Kamala Harris said that Trump is only attempting to scare people and create more problems. Some Democratic governors signed a letter claiming this is really dangerous and over the line.
Soldiers with Guns Walking Around
The National Guard members aren't there for show - they're firing real weapons. Military leaders said they can fire to defend themselves if they have to. The Defense Secretary even said that they might send Marines if the situation is worse.
Most people don't like to see soldiers in arms dealing with American protesters in American cities. It brings back other countries where the military calls the shots.
What's Coming Next
Trump threatened that if there are protests, there will be troops "everywhere." He doesn't want to see the country "torn apart," he added.
But the officials in California feel they can deal with their own problems without federal troops making things more complicated. They claim Trump is creating trouble where there was none before.
This whole debacle shows how divided everybody is on immigration. With millions of individuals promised to be deported by Trump, we can guarantee that there are going to be plenty of battles like this one breaking out in cities around the country. Nobody has any idea how bad it might get.
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At Inspirepreneurs Magazine, covering entrepreneurship, business failures, and the human stories behind the world's most ambitious founders. She writes at the intersection of strategy and storytelling.
