Trump sends National Guard to Los Angeles – protests escalate!

Trump sends National Guard to Los Angeles – protests escalate!

There is currently a lot of simmering in Los Angeles: the conflict between the city and the White House has reached a new level. US President Donald Trump has described the protests against the US immigration agency ICE's deportation policy as "violent, insurgent mobs" and ordered the deployment of the National Guard to end the alleged "lawlessness". As of Sunday evening, authorities reported only isolated protests in the city center, but the situation could change quickly. Mayor Karen Bass reported several thousand demonstrators who temporarily blocked a highway. This came after a clash sparked by the arrest of dozens of undocumented migrants, which brought people in the city to the barricades. Radio Köln informs us that security forces were pelted with bottles and stones during the demonstrations, and there was also vandalism and burning cars.

Trump justifies the deployment of the National Guard with the recent riots on the sidelines of peaceful protests. A total of 300 soldiers have been mobilized, while approximately 500 Marines are on standby to respond if necessary. “Ultimately, our security will be at stake here,” Trump said. However, not everyone agrees with this decision: Governor Gavin Newsom sharply criticized the measure and called it an “unlawful” procedure. He is also reportedly planning to file a lawsuit against Trump's order, which could further inflame tensions between the president and the governor.

Reactions and escalations

Kamala Harris, former vice president and senator from California, also spoke out. She described the deployment of National Guard soldiers against largely peaceful demonstrators as a dangerous escalation and part of an agenda intended to create chaos and division. In their opinion, Trump could further endanger the social situation in California by simply mobilizing the National Guard. Other political actors made similar statements, describing the mobilization as inappropriate since the local security forces were already able to deal with the protests. [Tagesschau](https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/ Amerika/faq-ikalien-nationalgarde-100.html) reported that the governor was not involved in the decision to mobilize, highlighting the disagreements between the federal and state governments.

But it's not just the police who face challenges. Many demonstrators who come to support the migrants and demand their release are frustrated by the deadlock. The deployment of the National Guard and Trump's martial threat to use violence against the demonstrators are creating a tense climate. Some activists are calling for concrete measures to de-escalate. The course of the situation in Los Angeles will be a test of Trump's stance on internal security and the relevance of the rights of the demonstrators.

A political game

Mobilizing the National Guard without the governor's approval is indeed an unusual show of force. Normally, the state has control of the National Guard, which is deployed in emergencies. Therefore, it looks like Trump is willing to push boundaries in a highly political climate. Süddeutsche describes the situation as a dangerous game in a politically polarized time. Political power is clearly on display here, and the tension between Trump and Newsom highlights how deep the divisions run between the Democrats and Republicans.

The coming days promise no less excitement. The political stage of Los Angeles becomes the scene of a struggle for sovereignty over the interpretation of the American values ​​of freedom and security. It remains to be seen whether the protests will cause further waves or whether the situation will calm down.