Los Angeles protests: The situation has "calmed down"
CNN reports that the situation in Los Angeles has "calmed down" after the "probably one of the most volatile nights" during anti-ICE protests. Approximately 300 National Guard troops are in the city at the order of President Trump, despite opposition from California Governor Gavin Newsom.
"There was a kind of a emergency situation where people needed to be removed or told to leave the city of Los Angeles because so much destruction and chaos was going on. That has since been lifted," CNN quotes Hilda Solis, chair pro tem of the Los Angeles County board of supervisors.
She also commented on the deployment of National Guard troops, stating that "you’re correct in saying that the governor and our local law enforcement did not ask for the National Guard to be deployed. So that is a point of contention." President Trump has called in the National Guard without a state’s request or consent for the first time since 1992. Then, President Bush invoked the Insurrection Act when the exoneration of the LAPD officers who beat Rodney King sparked civil unrest in Los Angeles.
Violence in the city
LAPD police chief Jim McDonnell reported on late Sunday, that the city is sparked in chaos and violence. "This violence that I’ve seen is disgusting. It’s escalated now since the beginning of this incident. What we saw the first night was bad," he stated, as quoted by CNN. "This violence that I’ve seen is disgusting. It’s escalated now since the beginning of this incident. What we saw the first night was bad," he added.
McDonnell also added that LAPD was "overwhelmed as far as the number of people out there engaged in this type of activity." Nevertheless, he expressed his gratitude toward the LAPD members.
"When I look at the people who are out there doing the violence, that’s not the people that we see during the day who are legitimately out there exercising their First Amendment rights to be able to express their feelings about the immigration enforcement issue," he stated during the press conference.
Newsom vs Trump
California Governor Gavin Newsom once again declared he would sue President Trump for deploying the troops against the governor's will, emphasizing that President "flamed the fires and illegally acted to federalize the National Guard." In a previous statement, Newsom claimed that the deployment is "illegal, immoral and unconstitutional."
"The order he signed doesn’t just apply to CA. It will allow him to go into ANY STATE and do the same thing. We’re suing him," he informed on X.
Source: CNN, USA Today, X
