The protests in LA were relatively peaceful. Then Trump stepped in.
President Trump has been looking for an excuse to wrangle with California, the rogue nation-state that never voted for him, and its Democratic leaders. Last weekend it seems he got one.
After relatively small protests broke out Friday during unreasonably heavy-handed workplace immigration raids (did they really need an armored vehicle and flash-bang grenades?) and continued Saturday in and around Los Angeles, the president dispatched 2,000 members of the California National Guard to “address the lawlessness.” He did so over the objections of both Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom, who clearly understood this show of force would be like pouring fuel on smoldering fire after months of anxiety among immigrant communities that have been targeted by the Trump administration.
