California Governor Issues Warning as Marines Arrive in LA: 'Follow the Guidelines'

Share this @internewscast.com

California Governor Gavin Newsom declared that “democracy is under assault” as he criticized U.S. President Donald Trump, who has directed the deployment of the state’s National Guard and marines to manage protests stemming from immigration raids.

Newsom addressed this issue on Wednesday AEST, following Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’s imposition of a curfew in downtown Los Angeles, the country’s second-largest city, due to several nights marked by unrest and vandalism.

The turmoil began on Saturday AEST following the arrest of at least 44 individuals by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, who were apprehended for supposed immigration infractions throughout the city.

Newsom reported that local law enforcement had been deployed to “maintain peace” during the ensuing protests, achieving some success. However, the situation escalated significantly when President Trump ordered the national guard’s involvement without informing California officials.

US national guard troops standing at the top of the stairs.

The decision to activate the national guard was made under President Donald Trump’s directive — a decision that faced disapproval from both state and local leaders. Source: AAP, EPA / Allison Dinner

‘Theatrics over public safety’

Newsom said: “This brazen abuse of power by a sitting president inflamed a combustible situation … putting our people, our officers, and the national guard at risk.”

“That’s when the downward spiral began. He doubled down on his dangerous national guard deployment by fanning the flames even harder.”

Newsom said Trump was choosing “theatrics over public safety”, and that his administration was “traumatising” communities rather than protecting them.

He warned that although Trump might be focused on California, “other states are next”.

“Democracy is under assault right before our eyes, this moment we’ve feared has arrived,” Newsom said.

“He’s taking a wrecking ball to our founding fathers’ historic project: Three coequal, independent branches of government.

“The rule of law has increasingly given way to the rule of Don.”

In a filing with the US District Court in Northern California, Newsom requested an injunction preventing the use of troops for policing.

US marines arrive in Los Angeles

About 700 US marines arrived at a staging area about 30km south of Los Angeles on Tuesday AEST after orders from Trump. A US official told the Reuters news agency they were awaiting deployment to specific locations.

The marines don’t have arrest authority and will protect federal property and personnel, according to military officials.

There were approximately 2,100 national guard troops in greater Los Angeles, with more on the way, the official said.

State and local officials have labelled the moves an extreme overreaction to mostly peaceful demonstrations.

Speaking at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Trump defended his decision, telling soldiers: “Generations of army heroes did not shed their blood on distant shores only to watch our country be destroyed by invasion and third-world lawlessness.”

“What you’re witnessing in California is a complete attack on peace, public order, and national sovereignty, led by protestors waving foreign flags,” Newsom stated, pledging that his administration would “liberate” Los Angeles.

Two women holding up signs during a protest. One sign reads: "ICE: Not cool", the other reads "dad, aunt, uncle, human over the words "innocent".

Protesters have clashed with police for four days over federal immigration raids. Source: AAP / Michael Nigro/Sipa USA

Demonstrators have waved the flags of Mexico and other countries in solidarity for the migrants rounded up in a series of intensifying raids.

Bass said at a press conference that unrest has been limited to a few downtown blocks and she drew a distinction between the majority of demonstrators protesting peacefully and a smaller number of agitators she blamed for violence and looting.

She later told another briefing a curfew had been considered for several days but decided to impose one starting Tuesday night local time after 23 businesses were looted a day before.

In what has become a ritual each afternoon, police have started forcing demonstrators away from the streets outside the Metropolitan Detention Center, where many detained migrants are held. Multiple groups of protesters meandered through downtown Los Angeles, monitored or followed by police armed with less lethal munitions.

Police said they arrested 197 people, more than doubling the total number of arrests in the region since Saturday.

— With reporting by the Reuters news agency