LA Protests and the National Guard

This may offend some of you, and it may cause bigsurkate to lose followers, but after watching what unfolded over the weekend, I can not be silent.

Several of my retired lawyer friends and I discussed whether we should volunteer, but none of us were immigration lawyers, and that is a specialized field. They are going to protests, and I am posting this here as my way of reaching out to people asking all my friends on whatever side of the aisle or wherever you are on the political spectrum to engage in thinking — critical thinking for yourself. Deflection and distraction is the way the current administration deals with loss of face or any loss or challenge, as with Musk, China, Putin, and even the GOP not passing that fascist spending bill immediately as he demanded. It is all getting out of hand for him, so he does what every bully does: escalates matters. Check all claims for accuracy.

“ Trump and his regime still don’t get it. You cannot build a country on fear, deception, and brute force and expect it to last. You can shout about greatness, parade your soldiers through the streets, jail your critics, and bulldoze every institution that stands in your way—but none of it will hold. Because power built on violence is always unstable. Power built on lies always collapses. You can rig the courts, rewrite the rules, and gaslight the people for a while. But eventually the foundation cracks. And then it all falls.” (Brent Molnar, Voice of Reason)

Don’t think it can’t happen here. We are a sanctuary county with a high population of Hispanic workers in our fields and service industries. They are our friends and neighbors and family. Attend the NO KINGS day protest on June 14th. It is a start, but only a start. Protests will be happening all over the country. It will mar the military parade that the orange ego demands. That’s one reason he started these high profile raids and also so he could have a reason to escalate and push federal armed forces to act against its own citizens. Hopefully, our governors will unite and assert sovereignty under the 10th Amendment.

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We all need to be informing ourselves and preparing for peaceful protesting every time we get a chance, if necessary. Remember, violence is what he wants so that he can claim his actions are justified. Don’t give him that. Keep it peaceful and encourage others to do so as well. As Joyce Vance says in Civil Discourse: “We are in this together.”

46 thoughts on “LA Protests and the National Guard”

  2. You are so right about this President.
    We are peaceful people and will march this coming weekend.
    Thanks Kate for speaking the truth.

  4. Does it occur, to anybody, that if one enters this country, illegally,and not via proper immigration procedure…they have broken the law…period

  5. I lived through one military dictatorship growing up in Brasil. I never thought I’d be in this situation again.

  7. Thanks Kate… any viewers you might lose because of your comments probably don’t understand English anyway…. your comments are clear, perfectly expressed, and on target… all the best to you…. ALAN

  8. That doesn’t justify the means that this administration is using, and they are not just limiting it to illegal aliens. It is easy to get people worked up about illegal aliens, but this is just a precursor to much worse. It is in the authoritarian playbook. First illegal aliens, then aliens with visas, then aliens who became American Citizens then citizens who protest and exercise their First Amendment rights, then people who he perceives as an enemy to him personally. It is a rabbit hole I don’t want to go down.

  9. Oh my. I am sorry to hear that and yes, isn’t it a shocker? You should be shouting from the roof tops what it was like in Brazil and what similarities you see between what is happening here, and what happened in Brazil. If you would like to write your story, I would be happy to publish if.

  10. Love your thoughts on this. I would hope even his most strong supporters recognize what is actually going on around them! Be careful out there, and show up for the liberties we all love and expect! Peace!!!

  11. Thank you Kate! I agree and am hopeful we will return to a more unifying style of governance.

  12. Thanks for this! Today I love LA … and I can’t always say that

  15. Thanks for speaking up. It is important that people understand that this is absolutely not politics as normal. Our country is at stake.

  17. Thank you. This is truth for real power. However, all the People need to make their voices heard and there have to be more in the middle that have not. Freedom has a price and we are all in this together

  18. Thanks for your viewpoint Kate – A fact based compelling argument no matter who may agree or disagree. Well said!

  19. I’m right there with you Kate, we must push back and respond to evil and criminal activities such as these, or any other such acts of evil no matter where they are taking place!! Let’s not let the bully (s) win!!

  21. Good for you, Kate! In this current atmosphere, it takes courage to speak out. And you did so so very eloquently. We all need to band together to take back our country.

  22. From Peter Coyote: “I’m watching the Los Angeles reaction to ICE raids with trepidation and regret. Three years ago I taught a class at Harvard on the “theater of protest”— designed to help people understand why so many protests turn out to be Republican campaign videos working directly against the interests of the original protest.

    A protest is an invitation to a better world. It’s a ceremony. No one accepts a ceremonial invitation when they’re being screamed at. More important you have to know who the real audience Of the protestis. The audience is NEVER the police, the politicians, the Board of supervisors, The Congress,etc. The audience is always the American people, who are trying to decide who they can trust; who will not embarrass them. If you win them, you win power at the box office And power to make positive change.Everything else is a waste. There are a few ways to get there.

    Number 1 let women organize the event. They’re more collaborative. They’re more inclusive, and they don’t generally bring the undertones of violence men do. 2 appoint monitors, give them yellow, vests and whistles. At the first sign of violence, they blow the whistles and the real protester sit down. Let the police take out their aggression on the anarchists and the provocateurs trying to discredit the movement. Number 3 dress like you’re going to church. It’s hard to be painted as a hoodlum When you’re dressed in clean Presentable clothes. They don’t have to be fancy they just signal the respect for the occasion that you want to transmit to the audience.Number 4, make your protest silent. Demonstrate your discipline to the American people.Let signs do the talking. Number 5 go home at night. In the dark, you can’t tell the cops from the killers. Come back at Dawn fresh and rested. I have great fear that Trump’s staging with the National Guard and maybe the Marines is designed to clash with anarchists who are playing into his hands and offering him the opportunity to declare an insurrection. It’s such a waste and it’s only because we haven’t thought things through strategically. Nothing I thought of is particularly original. It was all learned by watching the early civil rights protests in the 50s and 60s. And it was the discipline and courage of African-Americans that drew such a clear line in the American sand that people were forced to take sides and that produced the civil rights act. .The American people are watching and once again if we behave in ways that can be misinterpreted, we’ll see this explained to the public in Republican campaign videos benefiting the very people who started this. Wake up. Vent at home. In public practice discipline and self control. It takes much more courage.”

  24. I knew some of my readers could not handle my response to the current situation, and the lose of one or two viewers or 100 does not matter to me as much as what is happening to our nation. What people like you do not understand is that this is NOT about immigrants — legal or illegal. That is Steve Miller et al’s smoke screen, and it works with about 1/3 of the population who want a dictatorship, as that is easier than thinking. It is about creating a fascist state in the US. It is so much bigger than immigration. I am sorry you cannot see that, but not sorry to see you leave.

  25. This president and his administration are a blight on our country. Work together to hasten its passing. We all deserve so much better. Thank you Kate.

  27. Thank you, Kate. Let us please help your followers know this is about our freedom….for our elections, for free speech and for the clear threat to our democratic way of life. Thank you for speaking up….we all need to be as brave. I’m with you.

  28. Kate, I completely agree with every sentiment you wrote. I also agree with Peter Coyote’s suggestions (especially numbers 2,4, & 5).
    My only add-on would be that we need to be kind and compassionate with most police officers. I don’t think they want to be aggressive, and I don’t think most of them signed-up to do Trump’s awful bidding. It’s awful out there. Let’s all try to take good care and support one antiher during this frightening time.

  29. Jim and I will be at the No Kings march in Santa Cruz. Thanks Kate!

  34. Big Sur Views: you are right to bring this up. I will gracefully back out of the conversation. I’m sorry.

  36. Beware the “shiny objects” that obscure the ultimate intent, using planted moles to infiltrate and step up the tensions already created by the conversion of good soldiers to goon squads. Give moral support to those in uniform who are “just following orders.” If they continue to persist, it may be necessary to SELECTIVELY resort to ostracism. (By then, it may be too late.) But DON’T PLAY THEIR TACTICAL GAME. DON’T BE BAITED by the taunts. The strategy is to SUCK YOU IN. That’s what DECEPTION is all about. Dissolve and regroup to protest elsewhere.

    A ten million-man march. Have a plan to ANTICIPATE the authoritarian actions. When honked at, don’t honk back–stay cool and keep on truckin’. Pick your own “battlefields.” Undermine their propaganda with more effective, truth-based ACTION.

    DON’T MAKE THREATS! Be cool and don’t try to fight on their turf. Hold rock-throwers and worse for the legal cops or surround and disarm them like T-cells. Don’t let them ESCLATE! Frustrate their plans.

    Know that they will try to give you the finger–anything to piss you off. Don’t give them the satisfaction.

  38. Thank you, Kate, for bringing this subject to your forum. Loved Peter Coyote’s shared insights.

    I would like to take this opportunity to let your local readers know that we have a protest group in Big Sur that has been gathering on Highway One across from the entrance to Pfeiffer Ridge. They begin ar 4:20 pm. The Window on the Bay gathering has also been a fantastic experience – robust, energizing and empowering. The timing allows one to atttend both events if you’re so inclined. I did it one time and it was a big day – but also a great day.

  39. You are absolutely, 100% right. Thanks for taking a stand. My husband and I are attending NO KINGS in Holland, Michigan on Saturday. We have been protesting at every available opportunity in the area. If there is money for an unAmerican military parade, there is money for Medicaid. He wants his big spending bill to pass so he can send military into any city in America that protests his authoritarian moves. No Kings, Rule of Law and Due Process!

  40. I agree mostly with what you have said. I don’t condone violence in any way to solve matters. If these people were given do justice, none of this would have happened.

    thanks ,
    Richard

  41. I agree with you 100% and te violence started when that guy sent troops to California. He was just waiting for an opportunity. He conviently forgets the violence he caused on January 6 and then pardoned. I also wanted to help but, like you I have never done immigration law. This is just horrible, facist behavior by the President.

  43. Yes, and if more people understood that immigrants can seek asylum from anywhere in the United States, not just at the border, and that doesn’t make them illegal. Due process is fundamental for all of us. If we do away with it for one group, under a fascist regime, it will just expand to another. Another misconception is the so-called “warrants.” These are not judicially issued after a determination of probable cause, they are ICE issued based on nothing.

  46. You’re all wrong and you’re all being misdirect.
    The “actor on loan” has been directed to take control of California’s economy and sovereign fund.
    They don’t care about humans, you’re all just tax cattle, they will slaughter you, the administration has been told NO by every external economy over seas, the countries over the U.S. shared borders and by the federal reserve, now they are coming for the last economy they can ‘colonize’ and they are doing it by emotionally charging the country to frame the narrative so California appears to be the reason the “actor on loan can’t get his red white and blue bone”.

    Old dogs have been barking at each other for months over California’s bone pile.

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