00:00Welcome viewers.
00:30I'm Sheebnath and this is Democratic News TV, your trusted voice for balanced, fearless
00:36journalism.
00:37Tonight, we bring you a developing and dramatic story unfolding in Los Angeles.
00:44In an unprecedented move, President Donald Trump has activated National Guard troops
00:49to respond to ongoing immigration protests, igniting a political firestorm across California.
00:57From rising tensions in Paramount to the legal controversy over bypassing the state governor's
01:02authority, tonight's deep dive unpacks what this means for democracy, protest rights and
01:08immigration in America.
01:11In a move that has sent shockwaves through the political and civic landscape of California,
01:16President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of 2000 California National Guard troops to
01:21Los Angeles.
01:33This action, taken without the request or consent of Ghana Gavin Newsom marks the first time in
01:40decades that a state's National Guard was federalized in this manner, raising serious constitutional
01:46and legal concerns.
01:48The deployment follows several days of escalating protests in Los Angeles, centered on the federal
01:54government's aggressive immigration enforcement operations.
02:24national guard has called the political parties to the political parties.
02:41These demonstrations, mostly peaceful but occasionally erupting into clashes, have drawn hundreds of
02:46protesters to areas such as downtown Los Angeles and the heavily Latino city of Paramount.
02:54On Sunday morning, armored vehicles and long gun-carrying members of the California National
02:59Guard's 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team were seen assembling at federal complexes
03:05across Los Angeles, including the Metropolitan Detention Center.
03:10Federal authorities, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, have stated that the
03:16troops were deployed to keep the peace and protect both protest rights and law enforcement
03:22personnel.
03:23However, this deployment has triggered sharp criticism from local leaders and civil rights
03:29advocates.
03:30Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, condemned Trump's decision as purposefully inflammatory,
03:37calling the deployment of the National Guard a dangerous escalation that circumvents constitutional
03:43norms.
03:44We didn't ask for them, and we don't need them, Newsom said in a press conference.
03:50This president is playing politics with people's lives.
03:54Newsom also strongly rebuked Defense Secretary Pete Hexather's threat to deploy active duty
04:00U.S. Marines if violence continues, calling it deranged behavior.
04:07Newsom also
04:11covid-19
04:15Newsom also
04:20Newsom also
04:22Newsom also
04:26Newsom also
04:28Historically, the use of active duty military forces on domestic soil is restricted by
04:58the Posse Comitators Act, exceptions to which are rare and controversial.
05:04The protests began in response to sweeping immigration raids carried out by Immigration
05:09and Customs Enforcement in Los Angeles, which led to over 100 arrests in just a few days.
05:28A significant number of these arrests occurred in Paramount, where protesters attempted to
05:52block border patrol vehicles by forming human barricades.
05:57Some demonstrators reportedly threw rocks and cement, prompting federal agents to respond
06:02with tear gas, flashbang grenades and pepper balls.
06:07One notable incident involved the arrest of a prominent union leader accused of impeding
06:12law enforcement during a peaceful protest.
06:16By Saturday night, fires were reported in the nearby city of Compton and tensions boiled
06:22over outside federal buildings.
06:25Police in Los Angeles declared unlawful assemblies, made 29 arrests and attempted to disperse demonstrators
06:32using riot control tactics.
06:35While federal authorities framed the protests as violent, multiple eyewitnesses and activists
06:41on the ground argued that the demonstrators were largely peaceful and that force used by authorities
06:47was disproportionate.
07:11Police in Los Angeles said that the police said that the police did not provoke anything.
07:19Coli Linda Aleman, a Mexican-American activist protesting in downtown Los Angeles and Paramount,
07:26said she was tear-gassed while peacefully chanting against the raids.
07:31We did not provoke anything, she told reporters.
07:34There was an electrical box on the corner across from the agents and the crowd was moving in
07:40so they employed the crowd control tactics like the tear gas and it was too close to me
07:45so I decided to get down and kick it away and as soon as I kicked my second can I got hit
07:50and I wasn't out of breath and I didn't think I was gonna...
07:54They were continually spraying us with tear gas but we kept going.
07:59We won't back down just because the National Guard is here.
08:03Aleman, like many in the community, is demanding that I send what they call inhumane detentions
08:09and raids and insists that innocent families must be allowed to return home.
08:14People who are dealing with immigration or feeling really unsafe know that there are people
08:20out here who do care about what happened.
08:22We have riot gear here when people are protesting.
08:24I think it genuinely escalates...
08:26I don't want to hurt anyone as far as I can tell.
08:28Right, the thing is we have to keep sure that it's completely non-violent and it's peaceful
08:32and together we have to move...
08:34Despite the National Guard's visible presence, activists are continuing to organize mass demonstrations
08:40outside city hall and federal buildings with local leaders urging calm and non-violence.
08:47Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended Trump's decision suggesting that Garner Newsom
08:54had made bad decisions and that the President acted in the interest of community safety.
08:59The National Guard is there not just to protect law enforcement officers but to protect the
09:06community, she said.
09:08She also emphasized that Guard members had specialized training in de-escalation and riot control.
09:15ICE acting director Dodd Lyons further inflamed tensions by blaming the Los Angeles Police Department
09:22Lapped for a delayed response to Friday night's protests.
09:26He claimed it took Lapped over two hours to respond calling the department's actions disgraceful.
09:33However, Lapped denied the allegations citing logistical challenges such as traffic congestion
09:40and uncoordinated federal actions which they say hampered an effective response.
09:45Speaking to reporters en route to Camp David, Trump remained unapologetic.
09:50We are going to have troops everywhere, he said.
09:54Spit!
09:55We hit!
09:56I told them.
09:57Nobody is going to spit on our police officers.
10:00Nobody is going to spit on our military officers.
10:02We are not going to let this happen to our country.
10:05If we see danger to our country and our citizens, we are going to be very strong.
10:12He also admitted to bypassing Ghana Newsom's authority.
10:16I told him, you've got to take care of it, otherwise I'm sending in the troops and that's
10:22what we did.
10:24Trump's actions align closely with his long-standing campaign promise to enforce law and order with
10:29an iron fist.
10:32Federal analysts suggest that the move is not only about immigration enforcement but also
10:37a strategic manoeuvre to galvanize his political base ahead of the 2024 elections.
10:44Democratic Congresswoman Nanette Bergan of Paramount blasted the decision.
10:49The President is sending in the National Guard not to protect people, but because he doesn't
10:55like the optics of people peacefully protesting, she told CNN.
11:00This is not what democracy looks like.
11:04Criticism has also been directed at FBI Director Kash Patel, who posted on X, formerly Twitter,
11:11hit a cop, you're going to jail.
11:14Social media users quickly drew attention to Trump's previous pardons of 6 January rioters,
11:20accusing the administration of hypocrisy.
11:23As of now, the National Guard has stationed approximately 300 troops at three key locations around Los Angeles,
11:32with hundreds more on standby.
11:34Meanwhile, active duty Marines have been told to prepare for potential deployment,
11:40a step that would escalate the crisis significantly.
11:44Los Angeles, a city of nearly 10 million residents, has witnessed civil unrest before,
11:50from the Rodney King riots in 1990 to to George Floyd protests in 2020.
11:56But the current crisis is unique in its political underpinnings.
12:00The deployment of the National Guard without gubernatorial approval sets a new precedent and raises questions
12:25about the limits of federal power during civil unrest.
12:30Many residents remain unaware of the full scope of what's happening,
12:34as the protests are geographically concentrated in specific neighborhoods.
12:39Still, the implications are national in scale.
12:43As this unprecedented situation continues to unfold,
12:47Democratic News TV will remain at the front lines,
12:50bringing you truth, context and clarity.
12:54I'm Sheeb Naath and this has been your special report.
12:58Whether you're watching from Los Angeles, New York or anywhere around the globe,
13:04stay engaged, stay informed and remember the fight for justice, civil rights and democracy does not end with headlines.
13:12We'll be watching, we'll be reporting and we'll be holding power to account.
13:20Until next time, stay safe and stay aware.
13:24Goodbye.
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