I understand this article is meant to be critical of Trump and as always, I appreciate that, but the language about the protest is deeply unfair to the people of Los Angeles, carrying water for Trump with inaccurate framing.
For example, even this first line: "he wasn't just responding to violent protests over immigration raids" suggests that the protests are inherently violent (they are overwhelmingly peaceful) and that Trump's actions are a "response" rather than instigation.
Later, there's this: "What began as peaceful demonstrations quickly turned violent, with windows shattered, self-driving cars set ablaze, and officers pelted with rocks and electric scooters. Police responded with flash-bangs and rubber bullets, and Los Angeles declared an 'unlawful assembly.'" The word "turned" here is doing a lot of heavy lifting, failing to reflect the timeline, scope, and scale of the conflict, as well as the obviously disproportionate force at play.
Let's start with "self-driving cars set ablaze." The first fires were the result of tear gas cannisters thrown by law enforcement against protesters on the first day when they were trying to block ICE agents from taking their neighbors at a Home Depot. The cannisters are very hot, so brush in the road divider caught on fire. The next day, when more people peaceably assembled, police began dispensing tear gas again (a chemical weapon which is banned for use in war by the Geneva Protocols), along with flashbangs, less-lethal projectiles, and aggressive physical force. THAT is when people started setting self-driving cars on fire, and even then the photo included here is pretty much the extent of it. Just because Fox News plays the same images over and over doesn't mean it was widespread. The point isn't that setting cars on fire is okay, the point is that law enforcement was responsible for the escalation in use of force, not the protesters.
Next, "officers pelted with rocks and electric scooters." Again, press embedded on the ground in LA report that law enforcement was deploying their weapons on unarmed civilians who at most were yelling curses at them. In many cases, protesters were throwing BACK projectiles that LEOs had launched at THEM. With regard to the scooters, they were initially and mostly used as barricades to block ICE vehicles, and the episodes of them being thrown were rare. Again, not okay, but these are RARE violent actions that are nearly always in response to law enforcement escalation.
The vast majority of gatherings are peaceful, while there are many instances of LEOs and now military acting aggressively and violently against civilians without provocation. For example, there is the Australian reporter who was intentionally shot with a rubber bullet by a cop. Another woman was just walking, trying to get to her apartment, and the officer blocking the road shot her with a rubber bullet at point-blank range. When other civilians tried to give her first aid, the officer threatened to shoot them too. This one wasn't even an active protest, just a person trying to get home!
Finally, "The central question isn't whether violent protesters deserve consequences — they do. By any measure, violence against federal agents is inexcusable, and law enforcement has every right to protect personnel and property." Based on the examples provided above, let me turn this around for a minute: "The central question isn't whether violent LEOs deserve consequences — they do. By any measure, violence against unarmed civilians is inexcusable, and people have every right to protect themselves and their neighbors." Now tell me truly, is the second statement untrue? Because the framing of the administration and this article is that law enforcement are the victims rather than the aggressors, which is exactly what allows Trump to dangerously escalate further.
Finally, I want to point out the massive power differential between LEOs/military and the protesters. Law enforcement and the military is armed (often with lethal power, and even the non-lethal power can do serious long-term injury), the people are not. Law enforcement has the power of the state and the threat of arrest and imprisonment behind them, while the people do not. When the people assemble and law enforcement responds violently, WHAT ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO DO??? Should they not defend themselves? Particularly knowing that the courts almost never rule in their favor? And if your answer is "they should disperse," then you believe that violence is an acceptable way to suppress free speech.
Anyway, I know this is long, but I need everyone here to pay close attention to journalists who are on the ground in LA, and compare that to the framing we're seeing in most major news outlets. Know the history of policing and domestic military deployments. And don't judge people who are facing down this kind of state violence in their communities.
I had the same reaction to this article. It states that the LAPD were "struggling" to keep peace. They were NOT STRUGGLING. I read they made over 200 arrests at one point. They did not need or want help. They were handling it.
Exactly! LAPD was arguably already using more force than was necessary, BUT they were managing the protests just fine. Plus, whatever antipathy protesters might have against the police, they're still likely to respond better to local LEOs, who are their neighbors, than federal agents, who don't care for the city in the same way and sometimes actively hate it because of all the anti-city propaganda.
Anyway, the LAPD didn't want or need help, and both the National Guard and the Marines have obviously made everything worse. More people are getting hurt and the risk of fatalities is higher than ever. NONE OF THIS EVER NEEDED TO HAPPEN.
This! People were just caught in the middle of ICE raids, started watching/filming, and were immediately met with force. Then the protests started, in response to escalation against bystanders by ICE. Every significant protest in American history has been met with the media letting the people down, characterizing overwhelmingly peaceful protests as riots and spreading misinformation. Thank you so much for correcting this, and standing up for the people who are doing the necessary work on the ground.
Agree 100%! I would like to add that many of us have “live tv” options on our streaming services. Local Los Angeles news affiliates offer another journalistic option at what is really happening. Vastly different from Fox “News”.
Thank you for pointing the troubling framing out in the article, I too found myself frustrated by the way this was article was not taking into account the escalation and instigation by local and federal authorities on protesters.
Thank you for this. Sharon has always promoted “ counter with truth”. I appreciate, and agree with your analysis and rebuttal and would like to add that the phrase “ quickly turned violent” really ruffled my feathers. I find that comment feeds the false narrative of the situation.
Thank you for all of this! I live in Los Angeles, too, and too much of the media including the local media, are distorting the truth. Issues are around the Federal Building in DTLA, about a two block radius. But that’s about it. Yes there are protests (for which we do have the right to do so) . It has been much more peaceful than anything else. And, these protests all began when ICE started showing up everywhere (including schools!) to rip away people from their families without due process. Do people not remember what history and what Hitler and his goons do in Europe?!? Trump is Hitler 2.0. The violent criminals from January 6th whom HE released have also been hired to carry out these raids. He released violet criminals to disrupt and create chaos when there was none. And the lack of empathy is so disturbing, especially from those who like to call themselves Christian because they are anything but. I saw a video of a group of MAGAts being asked if they saw Jesus himself among the crowds, would they ask him to leave. And this white woman proudly stated yes, if he were here illegally without documentation, he would be deported, too. Absolutely mind boggling! What has happened to common sense and common decency?!?
Thank you, thank you! I found the article painful in its attempt to both sides this issue. It seems Elise is not boots on the ground in LA. I find it encouraging that folks like Kamala Harris and Gavin Newsome are repeatedly telling the protesters to keep it peaceful. It seems to me the aggression started with LEO.
Agree! Thank you for taking the time to write this. I would suggest people support local independent publications such as LA Taco, with on the ground reporting. I’ve been a supporting member of them for years ❤️
Thanks for shouting out LA Taco! I live in Compton, a mile from the Paramount incident that went viral. I just discovered LA Taco through all of the madness this week, and they have been giving me life!! I have always been appalled by Trump’s unflinching lies, but it was TERRIFYING to hear to him justify sending military troops into our city, citing a narrative that simply was NOT happening!! Grateful for LA Taco’s street level journalism that captured the truth of everything happening this weekend. (They even featured some moments when LEO’s were being kind and appropriate. They could have easily left that out but they didn’t. They’re covering all aspects of what’s going on in our streets.)
HOLY SH*T!!!! None of this is OK and is terrifying on so, so many levels. I am without words, especially when Trump calls this an "insurrection", and yet when he ACTUALLY HAD AN INSURRECTION on J6 and legislators' lives were in danger, he did nothing. OMG. The hypocrisy is unbearable and infuriating.
Much has been written and will no doubt be written, about the Constitutional issues regarding due process, free speech and domestic use of the military in Trump’s actions against immigrants. What I want to relay here is a message I don’t think is getting out at all, which is how detrimental it is for our country as a whole, to engage in the mass deportation of people whose only “crime” was to enter our country without documentation. And although I believe some Trump voters support the whitening of America, I believe a significant portion of them supported deportation of violent criminal immigrants, which is not at all what we’re seeing. And the reason for that is because Trump campaigned on stories of violent criminal hordes and invasions of lawless immigrants everywhere. But that was never true and so they must seek, hunt and round up every suspected non-citizen they can find to try to fulfill their mass deportation promises. If this continues and the immigrant population is decimated, here is what we will lose, completely aside from Constitutional and humanitarian issues:
-the $80-100 billion that undocumented immigrants contribute to federal, state and local coffers every year
-immigrants’ contributions to U.S. GDP, which Wall Street economists have said is one of the most significant drivers of growth over the last several years
-the benefits shown in the Trump Admin.’s own 10-yr study of refugees where refugees generated billions more dollars for the U.S. than than they cost us
-immigrants start small businesses at higher rates than native-born citizens and 99.9% of all businesses in the U.S. are small businesses, which make up 44% of our GDP
-immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than native-born citizens
-immigrants enlist in the military at higher rates than native-born citizens and immigrant veterans attain higher education, employment and income than native-born veterans
-studies of Census data going back generations shows that in the majority of immigrant families, the next generation is doing as well as or better than the corresponding generation of native-born citizens
-immigrants fill essential jobs in industries facing labor shortages like healthcare, construction and agriculture and are more likely than native-born citizens to move where the jobs are, relieving bottlenecks and improving resource allocation overall
-in a time of increasing numbers of older people and declining birth rates in the U.S. and other developed countries, immigrants, who skew younger as a whole, provide a vital infusion of able-bodied workers to maintain labor market growth
-massive increases, up to nearly $200 billion in taxpayer funds to continue and increase these heinous efforts against hard-working people whose only crime was to come here or remain here without documentation to make a better life for themselves and their families.
California has recently overtaken Japan as the fourth largest economy in the world. It has huge numbers of immigrants and lower murder rates than Alabama. It is far from an immigrant invasion hellscape because the truth is, most immigrants are a vital resource for the U.S. and we need to protect them. Trump’s efforts are tearing the country apart and will have ramifications for generations to come.
Thank you, Kate, for pointing out how bad this is for our country. Just like every Trump policy, it is bad for our country, but good for his agenda. He wants our country to fail and our people desperate. A failed country with desperate people is easier to control.
It is all for his and the Project 2025 authors’ gain.
Kate, I would like to use your stats, is that ok, and can you cite the source? I live in Texas, and despite what our governor says we are not being invaded and I would like to use some of this info with neighbors
I would love for everyone to spread this info far and wide. I have a variety of fact-based sources for all of this but it will take me some time to pull it all together for you.
Thank you! I live in New Mexico just 2 1/2 hours from El Paso and the border. My town is going through an oil boom. There is no invasion. This language and this rhetoric has been so infuriating.
I didn’t know that California was now 4th?! It makes me wonder if that is why they are targeting CA first. Are they trying to ruin CA’s economy? Of course that hurts the rest of the country though.
Even without the economic ramifications, what is being done to mostly law abiding immigrants seeking permanent status is devastating.
I think they target California bc we are an easy scapegoat. We represent a very blue state and this idea that California is just filled with self absorbed and vapid people who do things for attention. During COVID a lot of people from California moved to other states like Texas, Utah, Tennessee, and Idaho bc they wanted to get somewhere that had less restrictions. This lead those who live in those states to think our state government was controlling all aspects of our lives.
We live in a very frightening time. Perhaps the most frightening time in American history. Even my 95 year old father has stated he's never seen anything like the insanity of the second Trump administration. Whereas the first time around Trump actually had a few qualified and sane cabinet officials, this time around he is surrounded by, somehow Senate approved, unqualified zealots. The first time he could be excused for his antics due to his not being a politician and just being himself. This time he has become a vengeful power hungry maniac bent on destroying everything in his path. Are his actions all of his creation? NO! He is an egomaniac who is easily manipulated and is being manipulated by powers outside the White House. If you didn’t read the GOP blueprint called Project 2025, you’re seeing it in action now. What is greatly disturbing is how the GOP members of Congress are falling into line to allow him to do as he pleases. The level of insanity there is beyond understanding. They get away with it, for now, by avoiding facing their constituents at home. We live in strange and dangerous times and the only way this can be reversed is by surviving until the next election and taking control of Congress away from the children running it now.
Thank you for speaking out about what’s happening. There are so many indefensible things occurring right now. Alarms bells go off in my head everyday as if I’m reading a novel in real time about the rise of authoritarianism in the US and the fall of a democracy. I wonder, am I alone? Do others see what I see? I don’t think I’m alone here with the Governerds. This morning I choose hope and action over despair.
You are not alone. Hope and action are the way. Education and information can be deeply troubling, but our next steps will appear, and we will find a way to reclaim our democratic norms...together.
Margaux, it might do you a little good to watch Gov. Newsome’s short remarks to the nation last night. I think he was speaking to people like you and the rest of us. It’s on YouTube.
You are most certainly not alone. I've read nearly all of Madeleine Albright's books. She touches on how authoritarian regimes are born to varying degrees in just about all of them. Fascism in particular is full of warning signs. She must be rolling in her grave.
Hi, former Marine here and former military spouse. It's a grave mistake to allow the military to be politicized like it was at Ft. Bragg last night. The military is one of the remaining trusted institutions in our country...and when I was in, we were taught that we should not be used as political props for either party. This is going to really harm the trust the public has in the military, especially against the backdrop of the parade and the federalizing of the CA national guard and the deployment of the Marines to LA.
Trump's comments at Ft Bragg and the reactions of those surrounding him were terrifying. I'm genuinely afraid of how much the rank-and-file have been radicalized. It seems like they don't see US city residents as human, certainly not as people they have any responsibility to protect.
I think we need to think about the story they might be hearing in their news bubbles. These soldiers are being told by their commander in chief that LA is in ruins and people are attacking federal law enforcement officers. I don’t think it’s that they don’t see citizens as humans, I think they are being manipulated into a situation that puts them against US citizens by an administration who is pushing for violence. They are as much a pawn in this as the protesters.
That’s for the 18-20 year old newly enlisted. For the commanders, literally they are responsible for the safety of their troops and they know better. I can’t say what’s going on behind closed doors, but anyone with a commission knows better
I understand, I think my point is that though they too are victims of propaganda, they have been primed for this for a LONG time. I've been hearing for years about how Fox News exclusively is played on bases around the globe. I understand that may not be representative of the whole military, but it may be enough that many of them don't question their CIC even when they clearly SHOULD. And to your point, their leadership is failing to adhere to standards, as well. It's a recipe for disaster.
yes, I get where you are coming from. The military is not a monolith, however. This is why it matters who is appointed as the SecDef, etc. It should be beyond the pale for any commander to allow this.
I read that the soldiers in the audience at Bragg (I hate to use that name) were specially chosen as Trump supporters. I don’t know how they were chosen. I just hope they aren’t representative of the military writ large.
There are service men and women who are from LA, lots I am sure. There are immigrants and the children of immigrants. There are all kinds of people in the military.
enlisted troops have high percentages of Black and Latino people in them and the visual of this was decidedly not representative of the typical crowd you would see on a military base
My nephew just left Ft Bragg two weeks ago after his bootcamp was finished. I am so glad he wasn’t there, although I know next to nothing about how the military works. I wonder if it was broadcast?
they should. the commanders are responsible for allowing the troops to be used in this way. Culture is set from the top. Conservatives had a fit when Biden had two soldiers as a backdrop a little while ago. I am more disturbed by the silence of the leaders than 20 year old E4s hooting and hollering in the background. Also, this is bad for troop cohesion, it truly is.
The hypocrisy is just astounding. January 6 was a violent insurrection, but those people all got pardoned. Even the LA police, not exactly known as a hotbed of liberalism, have said they didn't need the help. It's all about show, and inventing scenarios to justify his horrifying actions.
Indivisible.org is a great place to locate local protests, and even online events that you can participate in.
In twenty years, when I'm asked what I did right now, I want to like my answer. Be safe out there, and remember - there are so many more of us, and you are not alone :)
We’ve always operated under the assumption that presidents, regardless of party, share basic incentives with the American people…that they want cities to thrive, that they see citizens as constituents rather than obstacles. What we’re witnessing now is an administration willing to treat the second largest city in the United States as acceptable collateral damage in a quest for emergency powers. It’s home to nearly four million people (including me!) whose safety and well-being are being subordinated to a political strategy.
This dynamic is playing out on social media platforms where the narrative battle is maybe more consequential than what’s happening on the ground. I recently returned to Facebook after deactivating in 2020, initially because the platform felt like it was only inflicting psychological harm. But I’ve come to see engaging with disinformation as a civic responsibility. Someone needs to counter the extremist propaganda being amplified by acquaintances and the algorithm itself. The platform Zuckerberg has engineered since I was last active prioritizes engagement over truth, meaning the inflammatory posts from distant acquaintances now dominate feeds where friends’ and family’s important life updates used to appear first. So I didn’t have to even intentionally hunt for this extremist propaganda: it was the first thing I saw when I opened a tab on my lunch break. Oof, it was worse than I could have predicted.
I watched an acquaintance I met once at a Bernie Sanders debate watch party in 2015—someone I initially thought was genuinely committed to progressive policies—transform into someone posting love letters to Trump while constantly positioning himself as a martyr for being conservative in the “Los Angeles bubble.” It became clear he never actually cared about Bernie’s policy positions; he just really, really hated Hillary Clinton. Yesterday he posted the predictable “my city is on fire” narrative, despite living in an area where he would have had no idea anything was happening if Truth Social weren’t telling him his home was under siege. The unrest was contained to small pockets within a metropolitan area that’s larger than New York City, San Francisco, and Boston combined.
What made his post particularly dumb was how it echoed official White House propaganda that seemed almost storyboarded in advance. The administration released heavily edited clips juxtaposing interviews with Democrat leaders describing Friday’s peaceful protests—when officials like Newsom and Cory Booker accurately described them as such—with Sunday’s scenes of cars on fire, deliberately conflating different days and different levels of unrest. This created a false narrative that Democratic officials were calling violent riots “peaceful,” when they were actually describing events that occurred before federal enforcement actions escalated the situation. The editing was so heavy-handed it suggested this narrative had been planned before the unrest even began. Pure, hateful propaganda, the literal definition of it.
Engaging with this kind of propaganda is exhausting, not because the arguments are particularly sophisticated, but because the goalposts constantly move and topics shift whenever valid counterpoints are raised. But my goal isn’t really about convincing someone who has chosen to be unconvinceable. I’m aiming to provide a factual counterpoint for the dozens of other people reading these posts—often people from small towns who are only seeing the extremist propaganda their former classmates share. By commenting calmly, respectfully, and factually, I’m trying to model what it looks like to base your worldview on verifiable information rather than manufactured outrage.
The stakes of this information war are higher than many realize. When we cede the ground of social media platforms to extremists, we’re not just losing individual arguments, we’re allowing the normalization of authoritarianism to proceed unchallenged. Every uncorrected lie, every piece of propaganda that goes uncontested, contributes to an information ecosystem where military deployments against American cities can be framed as reasonable responses to manufactured crises. The people reading these exchanges may never speak up themselves, but they’re watching to see whether truth and democratic norms have any defenders left, or whether the loudest voices will be the only ones that matter.
Thank you so much for sharing this on-the-ground perspective, not just from LA but from Facebook, too (I can't, I deleted in 2018 and have never looked back). Your breakdown of the propaganda is important, and I only wish it could be shared more widely. Make sure to take care of yourself as you push back against disinformation, and thank you again for what you're doing. We all have a part to play. <3
If I had the time, I wish I could use my video editing background to deconstruct that video and show how manipulated it is. If only I didn’t already have a full time job 😭
Is there a way to comment calmly, respectfully, factually but also LOUDLY? Sometimes I feel like the shriekers get all of the attention and our calm, respectful facts have no chance to be heard.
An almost impossible needle to thread, perhaps. In that conversation I was referencing above, I used a lot of restraint while he did not, but I'm sure I raised a few eyebrows with some of the zingers I got in there, buried in the paragraphs of calm logic.
I know how much he prides himself on being a contrarian that doesn't conform to the opinions of his community, so there was some rich irony to see him parroting propaganda and talking points. I also made sure that it was clear that my opinions came from my own brain, not from some dogma of the left. Let me see if I can find a few...
[in response to him tagging me in 3 links to 10-minute videos without any context or summary, plus brought up covid lockdowns, vaccines, and topics that aren't at all related to immigration:] "When people throw around the word "whataboutism" I often roll my eyes, because sometimes there is a valid reason to bring up relevant history or compare how things are done in other contexts. But that's not what you're doing here. You've listed completely unrelated, complicated topics in oversimplified ways. But I *did* read and watch it all, and I want to acknowledge it. I think what you're trying to tell me is that because politicians have responded to other things in the past you disagree with, you'll never give them the benefit of any doubt on any other topic. That's fine I guess, but I would also recommend keeping those opinions to yourself, because other people have to read this stuff when they open their social media, and they might not be realizing that it comes from the perspective of an extremist that shuts out perspectives that don't align with his politics."
"You need to follow some sources that don't feed you what you want to hear. Even that last video link you sent me has CAPS LOCK text overlaid, telling you how to interpret it, and talking heads thinking for their viewers. It's unhealthy and unbalanced."
"Criticizing rioters is easy. The problem is externalized. But if you actually do want things to improve, it’ll take some actions that are within our control, too. That includes skepticism of all of our political leaders, regardless of party affiliation. I am grossed out by both parties right now. But there’s one party that uses their official account to produce slickly edited disinformation to try to influence the people into submitting to their demand for more power. That’s the side that’s going to get more criticism from me in this moment."
I think the key with these paragraphs were they show independent thinking and criticize the lack of independent thinking on his part. I don't think I changed his mind about his love of Trump, but using a different rubric, I think the conversation was a success. I'll give a few quotes to show the transformation...
From his original post: "We are a nation of laws. Without enforced structure and order, we have no nation, no Constitution, no means in which to enshrine our citizens with the freedoms we now cherish. Toxic “compassion” and toxic “inclusion” is the promotion of lawlessness. There is nothing compassionate about instilling distrust and disorder in our country by making the rule of law disposable when it’s convenient for you or your cause."
Here's a quote from him in reply to my first comment that merely gave an objective timeline of events: "I am not gonna go point by point with you here, especially with how you are framing these issues. It’s clear what your agenda is and I’m not interested."
And here's his final comment this morning, which I'm going to leave as the last word: "thank you for recognizing what the police chief said and how that pertains to the timeline. Like you said, there is no way to know what would have happened had Trump not brought in federal forces, but I’m happy with the impact they’ve had. I support them. I feel safer with them here than without. I have lived 22 years in Los Angeles and the past many years I have witnessed, firsthand, an escalating amount of homelessness, crime, and violence. I don’t feel as safe as I used to."
It might be a wrong opinion, but at least now it's being phrased as his POV instead of a call for a police state.
I feel like he and I and everyone else who contributed to the discussion actually gained something from it, even while maintaining respect for everyone and making some great points that must have hurt his pride a little bit. And while he has continued to post his propaganda, it hasn't been as dumb, and I bet he's now doing it with a little more appreciation that there can be consequences for posting pure garbage. Baby steps! All it took was hours of my time and some dread about what the next notification would bring. (To be clear: this is not a project that I recommend for everyone.)
Have you heard of the book Careless People? I’d encourage a read or listen! It’ll make you realize that the Meta ecosystem is…. straight garbage directly because of the people on top, and maybe protecting your peace might be worth a lot more!
Sounds like another one for the list, thank you! Although, the garbage isn’t even a secret anymore, right? 🥲
I’m taking breaks and ready to step away whenever I find it’s impacting me, which, after yesterday I admit I am almost there already again. Wish me luck!
I’ve definitely seen the turn of social media since the beginning of the year. I find my feed is filled more and more suggested posts and the comments can be just vile. I’ve tried reporting pages of people who post things comparing certain politicians of color to terrorists or calling for violence towards some presidents, but pretty much every time it comes back as not going against community guidelines. This does make me think what could go against guidelines if the bar is now so high. It’s made a lot of FB into a cesspool where bots thrive.
This is horrific. The lies, the double standard between this and Jan 6, anyone still tethered to reality and with a basic understanding of history should be deeply troubled. But, I keep thinking of the true patriots serving in our military who are being used as pawns right now. I am devastated for them and their families. The sacrifices they have made to serve our country are all being spat upon as they are asked to serve a regime full of hate for our citizens and our constitution. What will happen in the coming days, I shudder to think.
Hi Elise, please read Missy’s comment (2nd comment) responding to your guest article on The Preamble, and consider how some of the language you used parrots and reinforces the false narrative and manipulated timeline that the White House has been promoting in order to justify it's authoritarian actions. I appreciate the overall message, but American people deserve to hear the WHOLE truth.
I’d love a post that shares a clear and concise timeline of how these protests started and how they have progressed. I have been trying to piece it together by looking back through articles online but I’m having trouble getting a clear picture.
I'll let you know if I find one, but the basic gist is ICE action last week that netted roughly 2000 people (not all of whom were undocumented, some were discovered to be citizens, including pregnant women and children), then specifically targeting day laborers at Home Depot, where the neighborhood came out to block ICE from leaving with their captures. That led to large-scale peaceful demonstrations over the weekend. Police became aggressive, started deploying tear gas, flash-bangs, and other "crowd control" tactics, so the scale of the protests increased. Still, they were largely peaceful, but then Trump federalized and called in the National Guard, violence escalated, and a day after THAT he called in the Marines. This has all happened in less than a week.
Coming from a country who’s military was used against its civilians to the tune of 200,000 killings, military force against civilians never ends well. However, the US is not new to this. Who trained, armed, and funded the military in my home country? The US. This is just the first time the US is implementing what it has practiced abroad, at home.
We have a toddler having a temper tantrum as a president. Thanks trump voters, America isn’t great again, it’s just embarrassing and horrific to live here.
I appreciate the big picture awareness being spread here. The notion that Trump is setting a trap and bating us - and if we resort to violence, we activate the trap. It’s absolutely imperative that we spread this awareness and refrain from giving him the headlines and narratives he wants.
But we also shouldn’t fall into the trap of victim blaming. At some point, violence and unrest may be unavoidable. If/when that time comes, we need to refrain from the temptation of pointing fingers at protesters. Blame rests solely on the shoulders of the Trump regime no matter what happens.
Okay, so... who's doing something about this? From where I'm sitting, it looks like Dems in power are wringing their hands but not doing much else. GOP congresspeople are patting each other on the back for getting Project 2025 off the ground so easily. The media inflaming it, the police shooting journalists in the back with rubber bullets, and half of the country believing anything Dear Leader says. If people die, it will be justified by the right (see also: Kenosha 2020). If families are ripped apart, it's their own fault for coming to this country the way they did (whatever way that was). If democracy fails, it'll be the left's fault, somehow. What's left to do when half of the country justifies everything that's happening and the other half yells into the void about the bad things that are happening?
I hate to say it, but our options are limited. Here's what we can do:
1) Keep the pressure on our elected representatives. Use tools like 5Calls to regularly contact our state and federal reps and encourage them to push back against authoritarianism and hold Trump and his collaborators accountable. Advocate for impeachment, even if it's unlikely. Voice opposition when they vote badly, and support when they vote well. Get involved at the local level, especially with law enforcement and sheriff's offices to ensure they will protect residents, not target them.
2) Protest. Get out to demonstrations as often as you can. There are constantly actions happening: 50501 and Tesla Takedown are hosting protests almost daily, and there are larger-scale coordinated events like the No Kings protests happening this Saturday. If there is ICE activity in your area, connect with advocacy and rapid response groups. If you're unable to be on the front lines, then share details about protest actions, contribute to jail and bail funds, bring water and food and first aid for others.
3) Stay informed. Find trustworthy news outlets to follow, and check and double-check their reporting. Read, avoid GenAI, keep your critical thinking skills sharp. Limit your news intake when it's causing despair, and engage in self-care to ensure you are fresh for the fight.
4) Care for your neighbors. Donate to food banks, DV shelters, rent relief, etc. Babysit a friend's kids. Treat someone to coffee. Forming connections is going to be critical to mutual protection.
Because the truth is that things are likely to get much worse before they get better. So, given that we can't control what is happening on a macro scale, think of what you can control, and ask yourself what you will wish you had done later.
I love your number 4 suggestion bc it’s been shown through history that working as a community has such a big impact. If people feel safe in their community and life they are harder to be fueled by rage bait posts.
I understand this article is meant to be critical of Trump and as always, I appreciate that, but the language about the protest is deeply unfair to the people of Los Angeles, carrying water for Trump with inaccurate framing.
For example, even this first line: "he wasn't just responding to violent protests over immigration raids" suggests that the protests are inherently violent (they are overwhelmingly peaceful) and that Trump's actions are a "response" rather than instigation.
Later, there's this: "What began as peaceful demonstrations quickly turned violent, with windows shattered, self-driving cars set ablaze, and officers pelted with rocks and electric scooters. Police responded with flash-bangs and rubber bullets, and Los Angeles declared an 'unlawful assembly.'" The word "turned" here is doing a lot of heavy lifting, failing to reflect the timeline, scope, and scale of the conflict, as well as the obviously disproportionate force at play.
Let's start with "self-driving cars set ablaze." The first fires were the result of tear gas cannisters thrown by law enforcement against protesters on the first day when they were trying to block ICE agents from taking their neighbors at a Home Depot. The cannisters are very hot, so brush in the road divider caught on fire. The next day, when more people peaceably assembled, police began dispensing tear gas again (a chemical weapon which is banned for use in war by the Geneva Protocols), along with flashbangs, less-lethal projectiles, and aggressive physical force. THAT is when people started setting self-driving cars on fire, and even then the photo included here is pretty much the extent of it. Just because Fox News plays the same images over and over doesn't mean it was widespread. The point isn't that setting cars on fire is okay, the point is that law enforcement was responsible for the escalation in use of force, not the protesters.
Next, "officers pelted with rocks and electric scooters." Again, press embedded on the ground in LA report that law enforcement was deploying their weapons on unarmed civilians who at most were yelling curses at them. In many cases, protesters were throwing BACK projectiles that LEOs had launched at THEM. With regard to the scooters, they were initially and mostly used as barricades to block ICE vehicles, and the episodes of them being thrown were rare. Again, not okay, but these are RARE violent actions that are nearly always in response to law enforcement escalation.
The vast majority of gatherings are peaceful, while there are many instances of LEOs and now military acting aggressively and violently against civilians without provocation. For example, there is the Australian reporter who was intentionally shot with a rubber bullet by a cop. Another woman was just walking, trying to get to her apartment, and the officer blocking the road shot her with a rubber bullet at point-blank range. When other civilians tried to give her first aid, the officer threatened to shoot them too. This one wasn't even an active protest, just a person trying to get home!
Finally, "The central question isn't whether violent protesters deserve consequences — they do. By any measure, violence against federal agents is inexcusable, and law enforcement has every right to protect personnel and property." Based on the examples provided above, let me turn this around for a minute: "The central question isn't whether violent LEOs deserve consequences — they do. By any measure, violence against unarmed civilians is inexcusable, and people have every right to protect themselves and their neighbors." Now tell me truly, is the second statement untrue? Because the framing of the administration and this article is that law enforcement are the victims rather than the aggressors, which is exactly what allows Trump to dangerously escalate further.
Finally, I want to point out the massive power differential between LEOs/military and the protesters. Law enforcement and the military is armed (often with lethal power, and even the non-lethal power can do serious long-term injury), the people are not. Law enforcement has the power of the state and the threat of arrest and imprisonment behind them, while the people do not. When the people assemble and law enforcement responds violently, WHAT ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO DO??? Should they not defend themselves? Particularly knowing that the courts almost never rule in their favor? And if your answer is "they should disperse," then you believe that violence is an acceptable way to suppress free speech.
Anyway, I know this is long, but I need everyone here to pay close attention to journalists who are on the ground in LA, and compare that to the framing we're seeing in most major news outlets. Know the history of policing and domestic military deployments. And don't judge people who are facing down this kind of state violence in their communities.
I had the same reaction to this article. It states that the LAPD were "struggling" to keep peace. They were NOT STRUGGLING. I read they made over 200 arrests at one point. They did not need or want help. They were handling it.
Exactly! LAPD was arguably already using more force than was necessary, BUT they were managing the protests just fine. Plus, whatever antipathy protesters might have against the police, they're still likely to respond better to local LEOs, who are their neighbors, than federal agents, who don't care for the city in the same way and sometimes actively hate it because of all the anti-city propaganda.
Anyway, the LAPD didn't want or need help, and both the National Guard and the Marines have obviously made everything worse. More people are getting hurt and the risk of fatalities is higher than ever. NONE OF THIS EVER NEEDED TO HAPPEN.
This! People were just caught in the middle of ICE raids, started watching/filming, and were immediately met with force. Then the protests started, in response to escalation against bystanders by ICE. Every significant protest in American history has been met with the media letting the people down, characterizing overwhelmingly peaceful protests as riots and spreading misinformation. Thank you so much for correcting this, and standing up for the people who are doing the necessary work on the ground.
Agree 100%! I would like to add that many of us have “live tv” options on our streaming services. Local Los Angeles news affiliates offer another journalistic option at what is really happening. Vastly different from Fox “News”.
Thank you for pointing the troubling framing out in the article, I too found myself frustrated by the way this was article was not taking into account the escalation and instigation by local and federal authorities on protesters.
Thank you for this. Sharon has always promoted “ counter with truth”. I appreciate, and agree with your analysis and rebuttal and would like to add that the phrase “ quickly turned violent” really ruffled my feathers. I find that comment feeds the false narrative of the situation.
Thank you for all of this! I live in Los Angeles, too, and too much of the media including the local media, are distorting the truth. Issues are around the Federal Building in DTLA, about a two block radius. But that’s about it. Yes there are protests (for which we do have the right to do so) . It has been much more peaceful than anything else. And, these protests all began when ICE started showing up everywhere (including schools!) to rip away people from their families without due process. Do people not remember what history and what Hitler and his goons do in Europe?!? Trump is Hitler 2.0. The violent criminals from January 6th whom HE released have also been hired to carry out these raids. He released violet criminals to disrupt and create chaos when there was none. And the lack of empathy is so disturbing, especially from those who like to call themselves Christian because they are anything but. I saw a video of a group of MAGAts being asked if they saw Jesus himself among the crowds, would they ask him to leave. And this white woman proudly stated yes, if he were here illegally without documentation, he would be deported, too. Absolutely mind boggling! What has happened to common sense and common decency?!?
Thank you, thank you! I found the article painful in its attempt to both sides this issue. It seems Elise is not boots on the ground in LA. I find it encouraging that folks like Kamala Harris and Gavin Newsome are repeatedly telling the protesters to keep it peaceful. It seems to me the aggression started with LEO.
👏 THIS
Excellent analysis!
Exactly this! The words that are used matter and falling prey to media marketing instead of the facts is troubling.
Agree! Thank you for taking the time to write this. I would suggest people support local independent publications such as LA Taco, with on the ground reporting. I’ve been a supporting member of them for years ❤️
Thanks for shouting out LA Taco! I live in Compton, a mile from the Paramount incident that went viral. I just discovered LA Taco through all of the madness this week, and they have been giving me life!! I have always been appalled by Trump’s unflinching lies, but it was TERRIFYING to hear to him justify sending military troops into our city, citing a narrative that simply was NOT happening!! Grateful for LA Taco’s street level journalism that captured the truth of everything happening this weekend. (They even featured some moments when LEO’s were being kind and appropriate. They could have easily left that out but they didn’t. They’re covering all aspects of what’s going on in our streets.)
I am aware of HuffPo's political alignment, but still: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/journalists-shot-detained-covering-la-immigration-protests_n_68482fd5e4b0c1bc4e818847
HOLY SH*T!!!! None of this is OK and is terrifying on so, so many levels. I am without words, especially when Trump calls this an "insurrection", and yet when he ACTUALLY HAD AN INSURRECTION on J6 and legislators' lives were in danger, he did nothing. OMG. The hypocrisy is unbearable and infuriating.
Much has been written and will no doubt be written, about the Constitutional issues regarding due process, free speech and domestic use of the military in Trump’s actions against immigrants. What I want to relay here is a message I don’t think is getting out at all, which is how detrimental it is for our country as a whole, to engage in the mass deportation of people whose only “crime” was to enter our country without documentation. And although I believe some Trump voters support the whitening of America, I believe a significant portion of them supported deportation of violent criminal immigrants, which is not at all what we’re seeing. And the reason for that is because Trump campaigned on stories of violent criminal hordes and invasions of lawless immigrants everywhere. But that was never true and so they must seek, hunt and round up every suspected non-citizen they can find to try to fulfill their mass deportation promises. If this continues and the immigrant population is decimated, here is what we will lose, completely aside from Constitutional and humanitarian issues:
-the $80-100 billion that undocumented immigrants contribute to federal, state and local coffers every year
-immigrants’ contributions to U.S. GDP, which Wall Street economists have said is one of the most significant drivers of growth over the last several years
-the benefits shown in the Trump Admin.’s own 10-yr study of refugees where refugees generated billions more dollars for the U.S. than than they cost us
-immigrants start small businesses at higher rates than native-born citizens and 99.9% of all businesses in the U.S. are small businesses, which make up 44% of our GDP
-immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than native-born citizens
-immigrants enlist in the military at higher rates than native-born citizens and immigrant veterans attain higher education, employment and income than native-born veterans
-studies of Census data going back generations shows that in the majority of immigrant families, the next generation is doing as well as or better than the corresponding generation of native-born citizens
-immigrants fill essential jobs in industries facing labor shortages like healthcare, construction and agriculture and are more likely than native-born citizens to move where the jobs are, relieving bottlenecks and improving resource allocation overall
-in a time of increasing numbers of older people and declining birth rates in the U.S. and other developed countries, immigrants, who skew younger as a whole, provide a vital infusion of able-bodied workers to maintain labor market growth
-massive increases, up to nearly $200 billion in taxpayer funds to continue and increase these heinous efforts against hard-working people whose only crime was to come here or remain here without documentation to make a better life for themselves and their families.
California has recently overtaken Japan as the fourth largest economy in the world. It has huge numbers of immigrants and lower murder rates than Alabama. It is far from an immigrant invasion hellscape because the truth is, most immigrants are a vital resource for the U.S. and we need to protect them. Trump’s efforts are tearing the country apart and will have ramifications for generations to come.
Thank you, Kate, for pointing out how bad this is for our country. Just like every Trump policy, it is bad for our country, but good for his agenda. He wants our country to fail and our people desperate. A failed country with desperate people is easier to control.
It is all for his and the Project 2025 authors’ gain.
Kate, I would like to use your stats, is that ok, and can you cite the source? I live in Texas, and despite what our governor says we are not being invaded and I would like to use some of this info with neighbors
I would love for everyone to spread this info far and wide. I have a variety of fact-based sources for all of this but it will take me some time to pull it all together for you.
Thank you! I live in New Mexico just 2 1/2 hours from El Paso and the border. My town is going through an oil boom. There is no invasion. This language and this rhetoric has been so infuriating.
I didn’t know that California was now 4th?! It makes me wonder if that is why they are targeting CA first. Are they trying to ruin CA’s economy? Of course that hurts the rest of the country though.
Even without the economic ramifications, what is being done to mostly law abiding immigrants seeking permanent status is devastating.
I would bet money it’s because the governor is a Democrat.
I think they target California bc we are an easy scapegoat. We represent a very blue state and this idea that California is just filled with self absorbed and vapid people who do things for attention. During COVID a lot of people from California moved to other states like Texas, Utah, Tennessee, and Idaho bc they wanted to get somewhere that had less restrictions. This lead those who live in those states to think our state government was controlling all aspects of our lives.
Thank you for making these excellent points for laying them out so clearly. I hope everyone reads this comment.
We live in a very frightening time. Perhaps the most frightening time in American history. Even my 95 year old father has stated he's never seen anything like the insanity of the second Trump administration. Whereas the first time around Trump actually had a few qualified and sane cabinet officials, this time around he is surrounded by, somehow Senate approved, unqualified zealots. The first time he could be excused for his antics due to his not being a politician and just being himself. This time he has become a vengeful power hungry maniac bent on destroying everything in his path. Are his actions all of his creation? NO! He is an egomaniac who is easily manipulated and is being manipulated by powers outside the White House. If you didn’t read the GOP blueprint called Project 2025, you’re seeing it in action now. What is greatly disturbing is how the GOP members of Congress are falling into line to allow him to do as he pleases. The level of insanity there is beyond understanding. They get away with it, for now, by avoiding facing their constituents at home. We live in strange and dangerous times and the only way this can be reversed is by surviving until the next election and taking control of Congress away from the children running it now.
Thank you for speaking out about what’s happening. There are so many indefensible things occurring right now. Alarms bells go off in my head everyday as if I’m reading a novel in real time about the rise of authoritarianism in the US and the fall of a democracy. I wonder, am I alone? Do others see what I see? I don’t think I’m alone here with the Governerds. This morning I choose hope and action over despair.
You are not alone. Hope and action are the way. Education and information can be deeply troubling, but our next steps will appear, and we will find a way to reclaim our democratic norms...together.
Margaux, it might do you a little good to watch Gov. Newsome’s short remarks to the nation last night. I think he was speaking to people like you and the rest of us. It’s on YouTube.
Margaux, thank you for choosing hope and action. It is all connected, so if you pull on one thread, it all unravels.
Please share your actions to inspire others.
I’m painting rainbows in my neighbors’ yards. This is our 5th June. We started the year after George Floyd was murdered.
Please, Governerd, share your actions.
You are most certainly not alone. I've read nearly all of Madeleine Albright's books. She touches on how authoritarian regimes are born to varying degrees in just about all of them. Fascism in particular is full of warning signs. She must be rolling in her grave.
Hi, former Marine here and former military spouse. It's a grave mistake to allow the military to be politicized like it was at Ft. Bragg last night. The military is one of the remaining trusted institutions in our country...and when I was in, we were taught that we should not be used as political props for either party. This is going to really harm the trust the public has in the military, especially against the backdrop of the parade and the federalizing of the CA national guard and the deployment of the Marines to LA.
Trump's comments at Ft Bragg and the reactions of those surrounding him were terrifying. I'm genuinely afraid of how much the rank-and-file have been radicalized. It seems like they don't see US city residents as human, certainly not as people they have any responsibility to protect.
I think we need to think about the story they might be hearing in their news bubbles. These soldiers are being told by their commander in chief that LA is in ruins and people are attacking federal law enforcement officers. I don’t think it’s that they don’t see citizens as humans, I think they are being manipulated into a situation that puts them against US citizens by an administration who is pushing for violence. They are as much a pawn in this as the protesters.
That’s for the 18-20 year old newly enlisted. For the commanders, literally they are responsible for the safety of their troops and they know better. I can’t say what’s going on behind closed doors, but anyone with a commission knows better
I understand, I think my point is that though they too are victims of propaganda, they have been primed for this for a LONG time. I've been hearing for years about how Fox News exclusively is played on bases around the globe. I understand that may not be representative of the whole military, but it may be enough that many of them don't question their CIC even when they clearly SHOULD. And to your point, their leadership is failing to adhere to standards, as well. It's a recipe for disaster.
yes, I get where you are coming from. The military is not a monolith, however. This is why it matters who is appointed as the SecDef, etc. It should be beyond the pale for any commander to allow this.
I read that the soldiers in the audience at Bragg (I hate to use that name) were specially chosen as Trump supporters. I don’t know how they were chosen. I just hope they aren’t representative of the military writ large.
There are service men and women who are from LA, lots I am sure. There are immigrants and the children of immigrants. There are all kinds of people in the military.
enlisted troops have high percentages of Black and Latino people in them and the visual of this was decidedly not representative of the typical crowd you would see on a military base
Here’s a brave article about what happened leading up to that speech at Bragg: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/06/11/bragg-soldiers-who-cheered-trumps-political-attacks-while-uniform-were-checked-allegiance-appearance.html
YIKES.
Thank you for sharing this article, the information and larger context for the optics he employed are really important to understand.
He gives a good explainer about the rules about military members and political speech. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKw78EvsZN-/?igsh=cjdmNnpxNGUzemRj
My nephew just left Ft Bragg two weeks ago after his bootcamp was finished. I am so glad he wasn’t there, although I know next to nothing about how the military works. I wonder if it was broadcast?
Hi Alina. Do you think anyone in the Army will speak up about what he did at Fort Bragg? And thank you for your service.
they should. the commanders are responsible for allowing the troops to be used in this way. Culture is set from the top. Conservatives had a fit when Biden had two soldiers as a backdrop a little while ago. I am more disturbed by the silence of the leaders than 20 year old E4s hooting and hollering in the background. Also, this is bad for troop cohesion, it truly is.
I agree. I am truly hoping someone of high rank will speak up.
The hypocrisy is just astounding. January 6 was a violent insurrection, but those people all got pardoned. Even the LA police, not exactly known as a hotbed of liberalism, have said they didn't need the help. It's all about show, and inventing scenarios to justify his horrifying actions.
Wired's Protest Tips: https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-protest-safely-gear-tips/
NILC know your rights card: https://www.nilc.org/resources/know-your-rights-card/
Indivisible.org is a great place to locate local protests, and even online events that you can participate in.
In twenty years, when I'm asked what I did right now, I want to like my answer. Be safe out there, and remember - there are so many more of us, and you are not alone :)
We’ve always operated under the assumption that presidents, regardless of party, share basic incentives with the American people…that they want cities to thrive, that they see citizens as constituents rather than obstacles. What we’re witnessing now is an administration willing to treat the second largest city in the United States as acceptable collateral damage in a quest for emergency powers. It’s home to nearly four million people (including me!) whose safety and well-being are being subordinated to a political strategy.
This dynamic is playing out on social media platforms where the narrative battle is maybe more consequential than what’s happening on the ground. I recently returned to Facebook after deactivating in 2020, initially because the platform felt like it was only inflicting psychological harm. But I’ve come to see engaging with disinformation as a civic responsibility. Someone needs to counter the extremist propaganda being amplified by acquaintances and the algorithm itself. The platform Zuckerberg has engineered since I was last active prioritizes engagement over truth, meaning the inflammatory posts from distant acquaintances now dominate feeds where friends’ and family’s important life updates used to appear first. So I didn’t have to even intentionally hunt for this extremist propaganda: it was the first thing I saw when I opened a tab on my lunch break. Oof, it was worse than I could have predicted.
I watched an acquaintance I met once at a Bernie Sanders debate watch party in 2015—someone I initially thought was genuinely committed to progressive policies—transform into someone posting love letters to Trump while constantly positioning himself as a martyr for being conservative in the “Los Angeles bubble.” It became clear he never actually cared about Bernie’s policy positions; he just really, really hated Hillary Clinton. Yesterday he posted the predictable “my city is on fire” narrative, despite living in an area where he would have had no idea anything was happening if Truth Social weren’t telling him his home was under siege. The unrest was contained to small pockets within a metropolitan area that’s larger than New York City, San Francisco, and Boston combined.
What made his post particularly dumb was how it echoed official White House propaganda that seemed almost storyboarded in advance. The administration released heavily edited clips juxtaposing interviews with Democrat leaders describing Friday’s peaceful protests—when officials like Newsom and Cory Booker accurately described them as such—with Sunday’s scenes of cars on fire, deliberately conflating different days and different levels of unrest. This created a false narrative that Democratic officials were calling violent riots “peaceful,” when they were actually describing events that occurred before federal enforcement actions escalated the situation. The editing was so heavy-handed it suggested this narrative had been planned before the unrest even began. Pure, hateful propaganda, the literal definition of it.
Engaging with this kind of propaganda is exhausting, not because the arguments are particularly sophisticated, but because the goalposts constantly move and topics shift whenever valid counterpoints are raised. But my goal isn’t really about convincing someone who has chosen to be unconvinceable. I’m aiming to provide a factual counterpoint for the dozens of other people reading these posts—often people from small towns who are only seeing the extremist propaganda their former classmates share. By commenting calmly, respectfully, and factually, I’m trying to model what it looks like to base your worldview on verifiable information rather than manufactured outrage.
The stakes of this information war are higher than many realize. When we cede the ground of social media platforms to extremists, we’re not just losing individual arguments, we’re allowing the normalization of authoritarianism to proceed unchallenged. Every uncorrected lie, every piece of propaganda that goes uncontested, contributes to an information ecosystem where military deployments against American cities can be framed as reasonable responses to manufactured crises. The people reading these exchanges may never speak up themselves, but they’re watching to see whether truth and democratic norms have any defenders left, or whether the loudest voices will be the only ones that matter.
Thank you so much for sharing this on-the-ground perspective, not just from LA but from Facebook, too (I can't, I deleted in 2018 and have never looked back). Your breakdown of the propaganda is important, and I only wish it could be shared more widely. Make sure to take care of yourself as you push back against disinformation, and thank you again for what you're doing. We all have a part to play. <3
If I had the time, I wish I could use my video editing background to deconstruct that video and show how manipulated it is. If only I didn’t already have a full time job 😭
Is there a way to comment calmly, respectfully, factually but also LOUDLY? Sometimes I feel like the shriekers get all of the attention and our calm, respectful facts have no chance to be heard.
An almost impossible needle to thread, perhaps. In that conversation I was referencing above, I used a lot of restraint while he did not, but I'm sure I raised a few eyebrows with some of the zingers I got in there, buried in the paragraphs of calm logic.
I know how much he prides himself on being a contrarian that doesn't conform to the opinions of his community, so there was some rich irony to see him parroting propaganda and talking points. I also made sure that it was clear that my opinions came from my own brain, not from some dogma of the left. Let me see if I can find a few...
[in response to him tagging me in 3 links to 10-minute videos without any context or summary, plus brought up covid lockdowns, vaccines, and topics that aren't at all related to immigration:] "When people throw around the word "whataboutism" I often roll my eyes, because sometimes there is a valid reason to bring up relevant history or compare how things are done in other contexts. But that's not what you're doing here. You've listed completely unrelated, complicated topics in oversimplified ways. But I *did* read and watch it all, and I want to acknowledge it. I think what you're trying to tell me is that because politicians have responded to other things in the past you disagree with, you'll never give them the benefit of any doubt on any other topic. That's fine I guess, but I would also recommend keeping those opinions to yourself, because other people have to read this stuff when they open their social media, and they might not be realizing that it comes from the perspective of an extremist that shuts out perspectives that don't align with his politics."
"You need to follow some sources that don't feed you what you want to hear. Even that last video link you sent me has CAPS LOCK text overlaid, telling you how to interpret it, and talking heads thinking for their viewers. It's unhealthy and unbalanced."
"Criticizing rioters is easy. The problem is externalized. But if you actually do want things to improve, it’ll take some actions that are within our control, too. That includes skepticism of all of our political leaders, regardless of party affiliation. I am grossed out by both parties right now. But there’s one party that uses their official account to produce slickly edited disinformation to try to influence the people into submitting to their demand for more power. That’s the side that’s going to get more criticism from me in this moment."
I think the key with these paragraphs were they show independent thinking and criticize the lack of independent thinking on his part. I don't think I changed his mind about his love of Trump, but using a different rubric, I think the conversation was a success. I'll give a few quotes to show the transformation...
From his original post: "We are a nation of laws. Without enforced structure and order, we have no nation, no Constitution, no means in which to enshrine our citizens with the freedoms we now cherish. Toxic “compassion” and toxic “inclusion” is the promotion of lawlessness. There is nothing compassionate about instilling distrust and disorder in our country by making the rule of law disposable when it’s convenient for you or your cause."
Here's a quote from him in reply to my first comment that merely gave an objective timeline of events: "I am not gonna go point by point with you here, especially with how you are framing these issues. It’s clear what your agenda is and I’m not interested."
And here's his final comment this morning, which I'm going to leave as the last word: "thank you for recognizing what the police chief said and how that pertains to the timeline. Like you said, there is no way to know what would have happened had Trump not brought in federal forces, but I’m happy with the impact they’ve had. I support them. I feel safer with them here than without. I have lived 22 years in Los Angeles and the past many years I have witnessed, firsthand, an escalating amount of homelessness, crime, and violence. I don’t feel as safe as I used to."
It might be a wrong opinion, but at least now it's being phrased as his POV instead of a call for a police state.
I feel like he and I and everyone else who contributed to the discussion actually gained something from it, even while maintaining respect for everyone and making some great points that must have hurt his pride a little bit. And while he has continued to post his propaganda, it hasn't been as dumb, and I bet he's now doing it with a little more appreciation that there can be consequences for posting pure garbage. Baby steps! All it took was hours of my time and some dread about what the next notification would bring. (To be clear: this is not a project that I recommend for everyone.)
Have you heard of the book Careless People? I’d encourage a read or listen! It’ll make you realize that the Meta ecosystem is…. straight garbage directly because of the people on top, and maybe protecting your peace might be worth a lot more!
Sounds like another one for the list, thank you! Although, the garbage isn’t even a secret anymore, right? 🥲
I’m taking breaks and ready to step away whenever I find it’s impacting me, which, after yesterday I admit I am almost there already again. Wish me luck!
I’ve definitely seen the turn of social media since the beginning of the year. I find my feed is filled more and more suggested posts and the comments can be just vile. I’ve tried reporting pages of people who post things comparing certain politicians of color to terrorists or calling for violence towards some presidents, but pretty much every time it comes back as not going against community guidelines. This does make me think what could go against guidelines if the bar is now so high. It’s made a lot of FB into a cesspool where bots thrive.
This is horrific. The lies, the double standard between this and Jan 6, anyone still tethered to reality and with a basic understanding of history should be deeply troubled. But, I keep thinking of the true patriots serving in our military who are being used as pawns right now. I am devastated for them and their families. The sacrifices they have made to serve our country are all being spat upon as they are asked to serve a regime full of hate for our citizens and our constitution. What will happen in the coming days, I shudder to think.
Jen, I keep thinking of the song, “four dead in Ohio.”
Hi Elise, please read Missy’s comment (2nd comment) responding to your guest article on The Preamble, and consider how some of the language you used parrots and reinforces the false narrative and manipulated timeline that the White House has been promoting in order to justify it's authoritarian actions. I appreciate the overall message, but American people deserve to hear the WHOLE truth.
I’d love a post that shares a clear and concise timeline of how these protests started and how they have progressed. I have been trying to piece it together by looking back through articles online but I’m having trouble getting a clear picture.
I'll let you know if I find one, but the basic gist is ICE action last week that netted roughly 2000 people (not all of whom were undocumented, some were discovered to be citizens, including pregnant women and children), then specifically targeting day laborers at Home Depot, where the neighborhood came out to block ICE from leaving with their captures. That led to large-scale peaceful demonstrations over the weekend. Police became aggressive, started deploying tear gas, flash-bangs, and other "crowd control" tactics, so the scale of the protests increased. Still, they were largely peaceful, but then Trump federalized and called in the National Guard, violence escalated, and a day after THAT he called in the Marines. This has all happened in less than a week.
Thank you Missy!
Coming from a country who’s military was used against its civilians to the tune of 200,000 killings, military force against civilians never ends well. However, the US is not new to this. Who trained, armed, and funded the military in my home country? The US. This is just the first time the US is implementing what it has practiced abroad, at home.
This is not surprising. 😢
We have a toddler having a temper tantrum as a president. Thanks trump voters, America isn’t great again, it’s just embarrassing and horrific to live here.
I appreciate the big picture awareness being spread here. The notion that Trump is setting a trap and bating us - and if we resort to violence, we activate the trap. It’s absolutely imperative that we spread this awareness and refrain from giving him the headlines and narratives he wants.
But we also shouldn’t fall into the trap of victim blaming. At some point, violence and unrest may be unavoidable. If/when that time comes, we need to refrain from the temptation of pointing fingers at protesters. Blame rests solely on the shoulders of the Trump regime no matter what happens.
Okay, so... who's doing something about this? From where I'm sitting, it looks like Dems in power are wringing their hands but not doing much else. GOP congresspeople are patting each other on the back for getting Project 2025 off the ground so easily. The media inflaming it, the police shooting journalists in the back with rubber bullets, and half of the country believing anything Dear Leader says. If people die, it will be justified by the right (see also: Kenosha 2020). If families are ripped apart, it's their own fault for coming to this country the way they did (whatever way that was). If democracy fails, it'll be the left's fault, somehow. What's left to do when half of the country justifies everything that's happening and the other half yells into the void about the bad things that are happening?
I hate to say it, but our options are limited. Here's what we can do:
1) Keep the pressure on our elected representatives. Use tools like 5Calls to regularly contact our state and federal reps and encourage them to push back against authoritarianism and hold Trump and his collaborators accountable. Advocate for impeachment, even if it's unlikely. Voice opposition when they vote badly, and support when they vote well. Get involved at the local level, especially with law enforcement and sheriff's offices to ensure they will protect residents, not target them.
2) Protest. Get out to demonstrations as often as you can. There are constantly actions happening: 50501 and Tesla Takedown are hosting protests almost daily, and there are larger-scale coordinated events like the No Kings protests happening this Saturday. If there is ICE activity in your area, connect with advocacy and rapid response groups. If you're unable to be on the front lines, then share details about protest actions, contribute to jail and bail funds, bring water and food and first aid for others.
3) Stay informed. Find trustworthy news outlets to follow, and check and double-check their reporting. Read, avoid GenAI, keep your critical thinking skills sharp. Limit your news intake when it's causing despair, and engage in self-care to ensure you are fresh for the fight.
4) Care for your neighbors. Donate to food banks, DV shelters, rent relief, etc. Babysit a friend's kids. Treat someone to coffee. Forming connections is going to be critical to mutual protection.
Because the truth is that things are likely to get much worse before they get better. So, given that we can't control what is happening on a macro scale, think of what you can control, and ask yourself what you will wish you had done later.
I love your number 4 suggestion bc it’s been shown through history that working as a community has such a big impact. If people feel safe in their community and life they are harder to be fueled by rage bait posts.
Testing the limits or violating them? This constitutional crisis is not "in the making"; it is in progress.