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Could we be heading into a long, hot summer of violent protests against the administration of president Donald Trump? What kicked off in Los Angeles, California over the weekend seems to indicate the answer to that question is an unequivocal ‘yes.’
When dozens of armed Immigration and Customers Enforcement (ICE) agents rolled into action in LA’s Fashion District Friday morning – rounding up people who were in the country illegally and working for a clothing wholesaler – the radical Left rolled into action.
The result? An orgy of violent protests against law enforcement – and an escalating political situation in which state and local Democrat leaders are siding with the violent mob.
As of this writing, hundreds of people have been detained or taken into custody. Among them, David Huerta, president of the über-liberal activist Service Employees International Union (SEIU) California, who was slightly hurt.
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Democrat mayor Karen Bass – known for her mishandling of the Los Angeles wildfires – was predictably irate over the enforcement actions.
“My office is in close coordination with immigrant rights community organizations,” Bass said. “We will not stand for this.”
Bass did not communicate with local law enforcement, which stood by with hands folded while federal agents attempted to uphold the law of the land. However, someone did get in touch with progressive activists, who quickly pounced. Consider this communique Friday from Union de la Barrio:
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“Emergency Protest TODAY in LA!
“Join us to denounce ICE terrorizing our communities! Over 200 people are currently being held… in the basement of the courthouse. Today, there has been ICE activity all over the LA area.
“LA EMERGENCY PROTEST!
“ICE has hundreds of members of our community kidnapped and is holding them at this location.
“STOP DEPORTATIONS NOW!”
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Young militants heeded the call to action, with hundreds taking to the streets. Days of demonstrations grew progressively violent – even as legacy media outlets insisted the protests were “mostly peaceful.” Protestors went from shouting obscenities at law enforcement officers to hurling rocks at them. In a city where memories of the rioting that followed the 1992 Rodney King beating still linger, Bass was finally forced to call in city riot police. An unlawful assembly was declared, and protestors were warned in Spanish and English to disperse.
The response? Fires were set, more rocks were thrown, and pepper spray was fired. Several people were hurt.
“Our law enforcement officers are just doing their jobs,” ICE noted on its social media early Monday. “Violence and intimidation against federal law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The United States is a nation of laws, and lawbreakers will be brought to justice.”
On Saturday, the White House announced that 2,000 California National Guardsmen had been federalized and deployed around Los Angeles. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also waded in, sharing on social media, “If violence continues, active duty Marines at Camp Pendleton will also be mobilized—they are on high alert.”
That led California governor Gavin Newsom to respond that “the Secretary of Defense is now threatening to deploy active-duty Marines on American soil against its own citizens – this is deranged behavior.”
Newsom also sued Trump over federalizing the guard, saying the president “fanned the flames” of the protests with his order.
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Deranged = allowing your city to burn & law enforcement to be attacked.
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) June 8, 2025
There is plenty of room for peaceful protest, but ZERO tolerance for attacking federal agents who are doing their job.
The National Guard, and Marines if need be, stand with ICE. https://t.co/KVjvvnaL70
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Trump made it clear ICE will not be stopped by “paid insurrectionists.”
“A once great American City, Los Angeles, has been invaded and occupied by Illegal aliens and criminals,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. ” Now violent, insurrectionist mobs are swarming and attacking our federal agents to try and stop our deportation operations — but these lawless riots only strengthen our resolve. I am directing Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Attorney General Pam Bondi, in coordination with all other relevant Departments and Agencies, to take all such action necessary to liberate Los Angeles from the migrant invasion, and put an end to these migrant riots. Order will be restored, the Illegals will be expelled, and Los Angeles will be set free.”
Could Los Angeles’ weekend of unrest be a harbinger of things to come this summer?
“The Democrats are trying to initiate another George Floyd riot scenario,” one tweet suggested.
Speculation in conservative circles intensified on Sunday, suggesting that scenario may be unfolding.
“Progressives may have finally found the anti-Trump rallying point they’ve been looking for since last November’s election,” a GOP strategist in Washington observed. “They’ve refused to budge on the transgender stuff and men competing in women’s sports. Their heels are dug in against school choice and parental rights. They’ve refused to budge on sanctuary cities for illegal aliens. But those issues haven’t galvanized the base into action. Resisting the deportations of illegals may be the mobilizing factor that brings their people to the streets. We’ll know the answer very soon. Because California sets the trend for Liberal causes. If the message spreads through woke-progressive circles, ‘We need to do this, because it’s what’s cool in Cali right now,’ things could get very ugly very fast.”
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#USNORTHCOM can confirm that elements of the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team from the California National Guard have begun deploying to the Los Angeles area, with some already on the ground. Additional information will be provided as units are identified and deployed. pic.twitter.com/BxqZM2YG1G
— U.S. Northern Command (@USNorthernCmd) June 8, 2025
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Should that be the case, progressives would find themselves swimming against the current of public opinion. Polling consistently shows strong bipartisan support for enforcing immigration laws.
When it comes to deporting people in the U.S. illegally, a Pew Center poll released earlier this year found nearly one-third of all Americans support deporting all illegal aliens. Another 51% supported departing some of them. Asked which specific types of undocumented persons should be sent home, 97% said those who committed violent crimes; 52% said those who committed nonviolent crimes; and 44% said those who had arrived in the U.S. within the last four years.) Only 16% of respondents said no illegals should be deported.
Will the deployment of military personnel in Los Angeles change those views?
The Republican strategist mentioned earlier summed it up this way: “It’s going to be a very interesting two weeks.”
Count on FITSNews to keep tabs on the unfolding violence in California – and the political fallout for both sides.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
J. Mark Powell is an award-winning former TV journalist, government communications veteran, and a political consultant. He is also an author and an avid Civil War enthusiast. Got a tip or a story idea for Mark? Email him at mark@fitsnews.com.
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10 comments
Here’s a legitimate question that no conservative will never answer. Why are the ICE crackdowns happening in places like LA and Chicago but not in red states who depend on migrants for farm work?
You can always count on the Mad King to fan the flames and create an “emergency” that only he can solve.
Doesn’t it just warm your libertarian hearts to see the US has a secret masked army now?
Q – Why are the ICE crackdowns happening in places like LA and Chicago but not in red states who depend on migrants for farm work?
Conservative A – Because that’s where the majority of the criminal illegal aliens live – they didn’t come here for freedom or to work, they came here to make money in whatever easy method they can by human trafficking, drug running or a million other criminal enterprises. Many farm work migrants are here legally under a variety of “farm worker” provisions. Unfortunately, many of those legal migrants are being preyed upon by the criminal illegal aliens.
Just the normal doings in an ultra liberal blue city, located in an ultra liberal blue state. While I frequently find things to question about what Trump does, I cannot fault him for the deportations or the deployment of troops to restore order.
Observe this, a lot of federal money going to poor red states comes from prosperous blue states like California, the 4th largest economy in the world.
When Pete Hegseth says there is ZERO tolerance for attacking federal agents doing their job does he mean never? Is there ever a situation where people could violently protest and attack federal agents but maybe we would forgive them and tolerate their behavior?
Just curious.
Trying to stoke up a little lawsuit business?
Nah. Just pointing out that everyone is okay with violence if they agree with the underlying motivation. If it is not obvious, a significant portion of our citizenry thinks the J6 violence was perfectly fine because they agreed with the why, and that excused the how. But the same people become some real pearl clutchers when they disagree with the why. So Hegseth’s comment is a little unbelievable.
I thought my comment was really obvious, but maybe I need to be clearer. Sorry about that. For what it is worth, this is the last place I would come for business. This is pure entertainment.
Just wondering, since all conservatives are “jack booted thugs” likely to try to overthrow the gubsmint, it would seem like Will’s “blog” would be a good place to troll.
Certainly, if there is a clear case where constitutional rights are violated, violence could be met with violence. This would be the strongest argument for the necessity of our 2nd amendment right to bear arms.
An “orgy of violence”, huh? So, how many have been maimed by protestors? And did it have anything to do with cops running over people on horseback, or hitting them with sabers? Or shooting rubber bullets at journalists?
It’s so funny how conservatives claim they need firearms in case the government overreach, but when the government starts non-discriminately arresting and detaining people without cause the conservatives cheer them on.