Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

We are builders in a constant struggle with destroyers. keep building.

I’m starting to think Jesus may have made a mistake saving people with no questions asked.

Fight for a just cause, love your fellow man, live a good life.

Petty moves from a petty man.

Radicalized white males who support Trump are pitching a tent in the abyss.

Republicans do not trust women.

rich, arrogant assholes who equate luck with genius

Every reporter and pundit should have to declare if they ever vacationed with a billionaire.

Polls are now a reliable indicator of what corporate Republicans want us to think.

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

“Can i answer the question? No you can not!”

We will not go back.

If you thought you’d already seen people saying the stupidest things possible on the internet, prepare yourselves.

Republicans don’t lie to be believed, they lie to be repeated.

Following reporting rules is only for the little people, apparently.

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

Trump’s cabinet: like a magic 8 ball that only gives wrong answers.

A norm that restrains only one side really is not a norm – it is a trap.

You cannot love your country only when you win.

Disappointing to see gov. newsom with his finger to the wind.

Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

Those who are easily outraged are easily manipulated.

Sadly, there is no cure for stupid.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

You are here: Home / Foreign Affairs / Military / Open Thread: ‘Send in The National Guard’

Open Thread: ‘Send in The National Guard’

by | 124 Comments

This post is in: , ,

MARKWAYNE MULLIN: They were literally out there protesting, carrying a foreign flag. That's absolutely insane. They are not just peaceful protesters. These are illegals.
BASH: Carrying a flag is not illegal
M: A foreign fag — a foreign flag while you're attacking law enforcement, it's pretty bad

[image or embed]

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) June 8, 2025 at 9:28 AM


===

What this really demonstrates is despite the fact that they all want you to think they revel in being hated, it actually really bothers them and they can't understand why people don't think they're right and thank them for how obviously smart they are.

[image or embed]

— Schnorkles O'Bork (@schnorkles.bsky.social) June 8, 2025 at 11:01 AM


===

Unfortunately completely expected.

[image or embed]

— Schnorkles O'Bork (@schnorkles.bsky.social) June 8, 2025 at 11:27 AM


===

Cannot stress enough that this is a pitiful action by a weak, scared, pathetic group of insecure, wannabe authoritarians, and they should be mocked until the end of time for wanting to bring in the military over some people protesting them at a Home Depot.

[image or embed]

— Mike Masnick (@mmasnick.bsky.social) June 7, 2025 at 11:47 PM


===

the white house thinks brute force is, no pun intended, a trump card. they don’t anticipate pushback and they don’t know how to handle it with anything other than escalation. the issue is that each escalation is itself a gamble. if protesters refuse to back down, you’ve lost face. (1/?)

— jamelle (@jamellebouie.net) June 7, 2025 at 8:52 PM


===

if your putative allies — local cops — decide that the unrest just isn’t worth it, you’ve lost face. if your goons are impotent in the face of the crowds, you’ve lost face. (2/?)

— jamelle (@jamellebouie.net) June 7, 2025 at 8:52 PM


===

and if you call out the national guard and tell them to, against their training, their mission, and likely the intuitions of the service members, use force against protesters, there is a good chance you are on the path to losing face, with no other way to escalate. (3/?)

— jamelle (@jamellebouie.net) June 7, 2025 at 8:52 PM


===

i don't want to dunk on any of the people who replied or quoted this with a "well ackshully the national guard will shoot protesters, look at kent state," but my request is to a) remember that kent state was over half a century ago and b) read about the NG's response in its aftermath

[image or embed]

— jamelle (@jamellebouie.net) June 7, 2025 at 11:16 PM


===\

i also frankly think a lot of you would do well to actually talk to anyone who serves in the guard or who is active duty military, because it's clear to me that these people are mostly an abstraction for you

— jamelle (@jamellebouie.net) June 7, 2025 at 11:17 PM

Informative thread:

There's actually an extremely large scholarly literature about this. With some regularity, dictators order their troops to shoot protestors, the troops are like "wtf no," and then the dictator falls. I'll dig ho and dump some cites below in a second

[image or embed]

— Paul Gowder (@gowder.io) June 8, 2025 at 9:10 AM

Reader Interactions

124Comments

  1. 1.

    Hoodie

    Hopefully this turns out like when that dipshit tried to enact martial law in S Korea.

  2. 2.

    trollhattan

    Senator Schatz seems to have things sorted.

    “Don’t kid yourself they know they are absolutely getting cooked politically w their terrible bill and rising prices, and they want to create a violent spectacle to feed their content machine. It’s time for the mainstream media to describe this authoritarian madness accurately.”

    — Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), reacting to President Trump sending National Guard troops to Los Angeles.

  3. 3.

    satby

    Service members and police are abstractions to a lot of people. Right now the LA PD is NOT assisting ICE in leaving the area where ICE started all the trouble, the cops are just keeping the people protesting and ICE away from each other.

  4. 4.

    WTFGhost

    I’m glad some people are speaking up for the humanity of soldiers (and sailors, airmen, Marines, guardsfolk) – that is the one big hope we have.

    The biggest danger is if there is actual mob violence that needs to be stopped. That’s when the military might use force, and, having used force once, are likely better prepared to do it again. That’s how you find the members of your (Nazi-)SS – the ones who will kill, just so long as they’re pointed at a putative “enemy of the state” – after each action, you find the people who aren’t sick, and horrified, etc., and use them as the prime users of force next time.

    But that’s mob violence – protestors, even throwing rocks (or as Trump insists, frozen cans of soup), I think military discipline will win out.

  5. 5.

    Steve LaBonne

    Trump has already accomplished the amazing feat of going underwater in public opinion on his only previously popular issue- immigration- and it’s only going to get worse for him. Only really hardcore MAGAs are on board with outright barbarism.

  6. 6.

    mapanghimagsik

    If we’re to “good people won’t blindly follow orders” I’m hopeful, yet dubious. But Hair Furor screaming to more than the maga faithful .. not sure how far the Looters epithet will take him

  7. 7.

    Baud

    My wild ass guess is that they would prefer to use force around election time, especially 2028. They don’t want to blow their wad now on a premature escalation.

  8. 8.

    prostratedragon

    Eyewitness account: ICE blocked off traffic to begin tbeir raid, which is where much of the initial crowd came from.

    When the saw us looking at them doing all that, that’s when they started throwing tear gas.

  9. 9.

    WTFGhost

    @Hoodie: It’s 2016. What are the odds you’d need, to get someone to accept a bet, that in 2025, we’d need to hope we’re at least as good at rejecting dictatorship as South Korea, directly as a result of a Trump Presidency?

    (Damn. I can’t figure out if this would be billions to one *in favor* or *against*, with my brain scrambled. I’ll tell you one thing, though: you’d have to wait until they stopped laughing before you could even discuss actually placing the bet.)

  10. 10.

    Hoodie

    @Steve LaBonne: Attempting full metal military repression this early should be pretty much a sign of desperation.  This has a real possibility of making these assholes look hysterical and weak. The silly North Korean parade might reinforce that.

  13. 13.

    JoyceH

    If I might suggest some other places to protest, how about outside Bedminster? Was going to suggest Mar A Lago but I believe it closes in the summer months. Let’s make it at least uncomfortable to support Trump by paying stupid amounts of money to belong to his tacky clubs. And he owns a bunch of other golf courses which could be protested. Of course rich people can funnel money directly to Trump’s pocket via his meme coin, but he loves those golf clubs and it would give him mental distress if golfers began avoiding them.

  14. 14.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    Apparently the protestors chased ICE into some facility and blockaded them. That’s why the call for the national guard lol

  15. 15.

    jonas

    This is exactly the kind of heavy-handed government repression the gun nuts say you need all those AR-15s to resist. Can you imagine if the “criminals” in this case were a bunch of white militia guys squatting on federal land in Colorado or something and the president was sending the National Guard in after them like this? Fox News hosts would be having on-air aneurysms.

  17. 17.

    HopefullyNotcassandra

    The Los Angeles Police Department released this statement proving there is no need for the National Guard or marines* in Los Angeles today.

    News Release on June 7, 2025 from the Los Angeles Police Department

    Los Angeles Police Department Statement Regarding Today’s Peaceful Protests

    “Today, demonstrations across the City of Los Angeles remained peaceful, and we commend all those who exercised their First Amendment rights responsibly. The Los Angeles Police

    Department appreciates the cooperation of organizers, participants, and community partners who helped ensure public safety throughout the day.

    While today’s events concluded without incident, the Los Angeles Police Department remains fully prepared to respond swiftly and appropriately to any potential acts of civil unrest. Our commitment to safeguarding the rights, safety, and well-being of all Angelenos continues – day and night.

    We will maintain a heightened readiness posture and remain ready to ensure the continued safety of our communities.”

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/lapd-declares-protests-unlawful-assembly-as-immigration-raids-persists-throughout-laco/ar-AA1GjkOs

    There are no riots in Los Angeles.  This president and his secretary of defense panic without any rationale (per usual).

  18. 18.

    trollhattan

    This shouldn’t get lost in the firehose of ICE news.

    David Huerta, the president of California’s powerful public sector union, was released from the hospital but remained in federal custody Saturday after suffering injuries when federal officials arrested him during a protest. Federal agents arrested Huerta on Friday for allegedly interfering with law enforcement activity as he and members of SEIU California, SEIU-United Service Workers West and immigrant advocacy and labor groups protested immigration raids that took place around downtown Los Angeles earlier that day.

    SEIU California represents 750,000 workers across California in sectors like social work, nursing, state work and education. The union said Huerta was released from the hospital late Friday afternoon, but remained in federal custody as of Saturday.

    Videos circulating on social media showed masked officers shoving Huerta to the ground before handcuffing him, drawing condemnation from politicians ranging from Gov. Gavin Newsom to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Huerta was being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles as of Saturday, according to Department of Justice spokesperson Ciaran McEvoy.

    Huerta will make his initial appearance 1:30 p.m. Monday at the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and United States Courthouse but is not expected to enter a plea. U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, a former state lawmaker who recently joined the Trump administration, said on X that Huerta would be charged with blocking a federal vehicle and interfering with federal officers.

    https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article308113175.html#storylink=cpy

    IDK if he’s related to Delores Huerte of UFW fame. She had 11 kids so probably tons of grandkids.

  19. 19.

    stinger

    Also Markwayne Mullet: Carrying the flag of treason while attacking law enforcement, that’s A-OK.

  21. 21.

    Moondoggus

    Would not be surprised to learn that the CANG troops are the 49th MP brigade; there are 3 MP companies in the LA and SD area. This means they are neighbors.

    Would be worse if a Combat Arms unit was chosen; they aren’t trained for crowd control.

  23. 23.

    TONYG

    All of these assholes are cowards — from Trump all the way down to the rank and file ICE agents.  Wearing masks and “tactical gear”, as though it’s “Desert Storm” in 1991, to round up unarmed people at Home Depot trying to get a day’s worth of employment?  This does not make those ICE thugs look tough.  It makes them look like cowardly wimps.  Fucking glorified rent-a-cops dressed up like GI Joe action figures.  Cafones, as my Calabrese father used to say.

  25. 25.

    Jeffro

    @Hoodie:attempting full metal military repression this early should be pretty much a sign of desperation.  This has a real possibility of making these assholes look hysterical and weak. The silly North Korean parade might reinforce that.

    Agreed.

    How much of their desperation is because of things like this: A Comprehensive Accounting of Trump’s Culture of Corruption

    People who make Mr. Trump richer regularly receive favorable treatment from the government he runs.

    The cryptocurrency industry is perhaps the starkest example of the culture of corruption in his second term. He and his relatives directly benefit from the sale of their cryptocurrency by receiving a cut of the investment. Even if the price of the coins later falls and investors lose money, the Trumps can continue to benefit by receiving a commission on future sales. Forbes magazine estimates that he made about $1 billion in cryptocurrency in the past nine months, about one-sixth of his net worth.

    Only a few years ago, Mr. Trump was deeply skeptical of cryptocurrency, calling it “potentially a disaster waiting to happen” and comparing it to the “drug trade and other illegal activity.” Since he and his family have become major players in the market, however, his concerns have evidently disappeared

    The self-enrichment of the second Trump administration is different from old-fashioned corruption. There is no evidence that Mr. Trump has received direct bribes, nor is it clear that he has agreed to specific policy changes in exchange for cash. Nonetheless, he is presiding over a culture of corruption.

    He and his family have created several ways for people to enrich them — and government policy then changes in ways that benefit those who have helped the Trumps profit. Often Mr. Trump does not even try to hide the situation. As the historian Matthew Dallek recently put it “Trump is the most brazenly corrupt national politician in modern times, and his openness about it is sui generis.” He is proud of his avarice, wearing it as a sign of success and savvy.

    He has pushed the interests of the American people to the side, in favor of his personal interests. His actions reduce an already shaky public faith in government. By using the power of the people for personal gain, he degrades that power for any other purpose. He stains the reputation of the United States, which has long stood out as a place where confidence in the rule of law fosters confidence in the economy and financial markets. This country was not previously known as an executive kleptocracy.

    (bolded part could be cut-and-pasted directly into any given Dems’ stump speeches from now through 2028

  26. 26.

    Scout211

    Amnesty International USA statement:

    In response to the Trump administration’s deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles, Amnesty International USA Executive Director, Paul O’Brien, made the following statement:

    “President Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles in response to protests against recent ICE raids is deeply alarming. This shows the Trump administration is ready to do whatever it takes – including deploying military forces – to target and punish those who speak out in defense of human rights.

    “This is not about protecting communities, this is about crushing dissent and instilling fear. Armed troops do not belong in our neighborhoods. This militarization of immigration enforcement and in response to people exercising their right to freedom of expression must have no place in a country that claims to value justice and human rights.

    “Community members in Los Angeles took to the streets to stand up for their immigrant friends and neighbors, as armed, masked ICE agents raided their communities, arresting the California President of SEIU, and without so much as providing a warrant.

    “Bringing in the National Guard, without request from local authorities, exacerbates already widespread human rights violations taking place under the Trump administration, including unlawful arrests, mass detention and mass deportation, expulsions to dangerous prisons in other countries, the suppression of free expression, family separations, and the denial of due process.

    “We know all about the dangers of using military personnel and federal law enforcement to police protests. The violent clearing of Lafayette Park in June 2020 is a chilling reminder of the consequences when troops and federal agents untrained in protest policing are unleashed on civilians. Military personnel are not trained in crowd control or de-escalation and should not be used for these purposes.

    “The ICE raids themselves are rooted in discrimination, racial profiling, and the systematic violation of rights. People have the right to protest these injustices. Crushing that right with military force is antithetical to human rights.

    “The U.S. government must do better. We urgently call on authorities to de-escalate, end the deployment of the National Guard, and respect the right to peaceful protest. We also call upon the Trump Administration to end these mass deportations that are tearing communities apart. The real solution lies in building a fair, humane, and rights-respecting immigration system, one that upholds the dignity of all people, ensures safety, and strengthens communities.”

  27. 27.

    Jeffro

    (NYT piece goes on to list multiple areas where trumpov & Co are openly abusing the office and participating in blatant corruption):

    deals in the Middle East with the Saudis and others, including the plane ‘given’ by Qatar
    trump Jr’s replacement bribe palace, called ‘Executive Branch’
    extorting deals in places like Vietnam and Serbia, using the threat of exorbitant tariffs as leverage for trump Org projects
    trying to force a merger between the PGA and LIV Golf
    suing media companies for unfavorable coverage
    flat-out bribes like the Melania ‘documentary’

     

    the lack of inaction by the GOP leaves voters as the remaining remedy. The best hope of holding Mr. Trump accountable for his culture of corruption involves calling attention to it and making his allies pay a political price for enabling it.

    Congressional Republicans clearly feel sheepish about aspects of it. A few of them, including Senator John Thune of South Dakota, the majority leader, and Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, expressed concerns about the Qatari airplane. So did Ben Shapiro, the conservative podcaster. They all recognize that corruption is a political vulnerability.

    Some congressional Democrats have tried to focus attention on the situation. “Donald Trump wants to numb this country into believing that this is just how government works,” Senator Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut, said in a recent floor speech. “That he’s owed this. That every president is owed this. That government has always been corrupt, and he’s just doing it out in the open.”

    But Democrats should do even more to highlight the ways that Mr. Trump is using powers that rightfully belong to the American people — the powers of the federal government — to benefit himself.

    If Americans shrug this off as just “Trump being Trump,” his self-dealing will become accepted behavior. It will encourage other politicians to sell their offices. The damage will undermine our government, our society and even our economy. Historically, when corruption becomes the norm in a country, economic growth suffers, and living standards stagnate. Under Mr. Trump, the United States is sliding down that slope.

  29. 29.

    oldgold

    How does having the military on the streets of LA impact the Trump’s army birthday parade? I think it puts a dampener, at a minimum, on it.

    Speaking of dampeners on the parade, DC’s weather forecast for next Saturday night is predicting a 60% chance of rain.

  30. 30.

    zhena gogolia

    @Jeffro:

    Some congressional Democrats have tried to focus attention on the situation.

    Gee, do you think there might be a “newspaper of record” that could help amplify that message? Or might have done so last summer instead of 190 articles on Biden’s age?

  32. 32.

    Trivia Man

    Bet: ICE agents stay masked because a lot of them are recent hires either little to no actual training. Seeing their face could confirm that.

    Side bet: many of them were recruited from the J6 crowd.

  33. 33.

    JoyceH

    @Jeffro: Is there some way to crash cryptocurrency? ALL cryptocurrency? I’ve been irked by this stupid fake money fad since it first showed up and the fever of stupidity doesn’t seem to be breaking.

  34. 34.

    trollhattan

    @Trivia Man: ​
     
    I know he had his hands full but had hoped Biden would consider breaking Homeland Security back into its component bits and while he was at it, reforming/replacing ICE.

    Yet another monstrosity gifted us by the Dubya admin.

  36. 36.

    JWR

    @prostratedragon:

    Eyewitness account: ICE blocked off traffic to begin tbeir raid,

    Almost funny that our U.S. AG insists they’ve not done any “raids”, that they’ve only carried out “targeted operations”. I wish at least one of our newsreaders would ask him the difference. And is there a legal difference?

  37. 37.

    NaijaGal

    @zhena gogolia: No, the job of saving democracy belongs to Democrats and no one else. The news media exist to point out how the Democrats are failing at that job.

  38. 38.

    Jeffro

    @JoyceH: I don’t know of any way to crash it, but since it’s a speculative investment – NOT money – it would likely lose a lot of value if* our elected officials could get their act together and note that it’s primarily used in abetting criminal activities like drugs, sex trafficking, and money laundering.  And then move to investigate & regulate it.

    (*a big ‘if’, I know…far too many of them are already addicted to those large crypto campaign donations)

  39. 39.

    zhena gogolia

    @Jeffro: How about 34 felony counts of fraud? One could extrapolate and make a reasonable prediction. I believe you will find these warnings in speeches by Biden, Harris, and Walz without looking too far. But the NYT was focused on Clooney.

  40. 40.

    trollhattan

    @JWR: Right-o, much like Ukraine invasion is nyet an invasion, is special operation thank you very much.

  41. 41.

    prostratedragon

    @JWR:

    Oh, these people and their “language!”

    Right now, people are turning out:

    The peaceful protest group has arrived on Alameda and is on its way to merge with another protest group. It is expanding larger and larger.

  42. 42.

    AxelFoley

    @Baud:

    My wild ass guess is that they would prefer to use force around election time, especially 2028. They don’t want to blow their wad now on a premature escalation.

    Well done, sir. Well done indeed. 😂

  43. 43.

    JWR

    @prostratedragon: Good for them! And in this 1 minute bsky clip, at least one person, (bald guy with black shirt), has the forethought to record in Landscape mode. (I really dislike watching big, outdoor events recorded in Portrait mode, where too much is missed.)

  44. 44.

    Another Scott

    Meanwhile, …

    https://bsky.app/profile/rparloff.bsky.social/post/3lr4rphbu6c2p

    Roger Parloff
    ‪@rparloff.bsky.social‬

    In new filing, Abrego Garcia’s attys call govt’s claims to have now complied with Judge Xinis’s orders a “farce” and ask for opportunity to seek contempt sanctions. …
    1/3
    storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us…

    [ highlighted image ]

    June 8, 2025 at 5:12 PM

    Good, good.

    It feels like the pace of things is picking up now. Might be my imagination, but even if it is we have to remember this is a marathon and not a sprint.

    Something something exceedingly fine.

    Eyes on the prizes.

    Forward!!

    Best wishes,
    Scott.

  45. 45.

    HopefullyNotcassandra

    @prostratedragon: yes

    There is no riot.  There is no looting.  There is no law breaking except by panicky ICE agents.  Were they trained to throw flashbombs at cars stopped in traffic after ICE blocked congested roadways?

    Give me the Los Angeles Police Department any day of the week over these masked ICE marauders who don’t know a threat from a lollipop.

    The California National Guard is not needed.  The Guard is behaving infinitely more appropriately than ICE.

    IMHO

  48. 48.

    Jay

    Joshua Erlich
    ‪@joshuaerlich.bsky.social‬
    DHS is always at the bottom of employee satisfaction surveys across the federal government.

    which is to say: if you work for ICE, you’re in it for the love of the game. working there sucks but you’ll never work a day in your life if you’re doing what you love (kidnapping)

    ‪Kelsey Atherton‬
    ‪@atherton.bsky.social‬
    · 1d
    not sure there’s a more embarrassing profession than ICE agent. Oh, you dress like a soldier to abduct sous chefs and throw flashbangs at protesters? Get a real job you loser
    June 7, 2025 at 1:08 PM

    Some people can reply
    49 reposts
    283 likes

    4

    49

    ‪m2c4‬
    ‪@thesoundings.bsky.social‬
    · 1d
    For well over a decade, CBP has had the highest percentage of employees charged with crimes, often violent crimes, than any other agency in the government, and often significantly higher than any other.

    https://bsky.app/profile/joshuaerlich.bsky.social/post/3lr25ox47wk2h

  49. 49.

    trollhattan

    @Baud: ​
     Hah, outdrawing Donnie via a Zoom call?

    The pontiff is set to appear on big screens at Rate Field, home of Major League Baseball’s Chicago White Sox, on June 14.

    “Although Pope Leo XIV will not be present in Chicago for the event, he has announced that he will be participating remotely from Rome, with a video message to be played at the gathering,” the Vatican’s news service said in a June 2 release promoting the event.

  50. 50.

    prostratedragon

    @JWR, @HopefullyNotcassandra:

    Later in the thread at JWR’s link, the whomever have started with the tear gas, apparently in response to nothing more than the presence of demonstrators. In one vid, the ones on one flank in cop blue seemed more itchy and panicky than the ones in olive.

  51. 51.

    different-church-lady

    I’m so old I can remember when protesters clashing with police meant the president was a fuckup turning the country into a hellhole.

  53. 53.

    TONYG

    I’m curious what percentage of ICE agents are white-supremacist neo-Nazis, as opposed to guys who just like to play dress-up.  (My friends and I used to like to pretend that we were soldiers when we were eight or nine years old.  They we grew up.)

  54. 54.

    Jackie

    Latest from FFOTUS on his social media:

    “A once great American City, Los Angeles, has been invaded and occupied by Illegal Aliens and Criminals. Now violent, insurrectionist mobs are swarming and attacking our Federal Agents to try and stop our deportation operations — But these lawless riots only strengthen our resolve.

    I am directing Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Attorney General Pam Bondi, in coordination with all other relevant Departments and Agencies, to take all such action necessary to liberate Los Angeles from the Migrant Invasion, and put an end to these Migrant riots,” the president wrote. “Order will be restored, the Illegals will be expelled, and Los Angeles will be set free. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

  55. 55.

    Gloria DryGarden

    @Baud: im thinking not clash, nor colliding, but in contrast with, as an antidote to, relief from…

    these headline writers..

  57. 57.

    Marc

    @Trivia Man: Side bet: many of them were recruited from the J6 crowd.

    Probably a bunch of cops, too, you know, those victims of getting fired/jailed for corruption and killing people.

  59. 59.

    different-church-lady

    @Baud: If I were that old I would be able to remember protestors clashing with law enforcement meant the president was a steely-eyed leader against deviant heathens.

  60. 60.

    The Audacity of Krope

    @Jackie: I am directing Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Attorney General Pam Bondi, in coordination with all other relevant Departments and Agencies, to take all such action necessary to liberate Los Angeles from the Migrant Invasion

    The Poser in Chief.

  61. 61.

    different-church-lady

    @Jackie:

    I am directing Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Attorney General Pam Bondi, in coordination with all other relevant Departments and Agencies…

    We know, we’ve already see it in your public Signal chat.

  63. 63.

    Scout211

    The Governors release a joint statement.

     

    A group of 22 Democratic governors called Trump’s deployment of the National Guard “an alarming abuse of power” and said doing so without working with Newsom was “dangerous.”

    “President Trump’s move to deploy California’s National Guard is an alarming abuse of power,” the governors said in a joint statement. “Governors are the Commanders in Chief of their National Guard and the federal government activating them in their own borders without consulting or working with a state’s governor is ineffective and dangerous.”

    The governors also criticized the threat to send in Marines. “Further, threatening to send the U.S. Marines into American neighborhoods undermines the mission of our service members, erodes public trust, and shows the Trump administration does not trust local law enforcement,” the governors said.

    Democratic Govs. Laura Kelly of Kansas, Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Tony Evers of Wisconsin, Bob Ferguson of Washington, Josh Green of Hawaii, Maura Healey of Massachusetts, Katie Hobbs of Arizona, Kathy Hochul of New York, Tina Kotek of Oregon, Ned Lamont of Connecticut, Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, Dan McKee of Rhode Island, Matt Meyer of Delaware, Janet Mills of Maine, Wes Moore of Maryland, Phil Murphy of New Jersey, Jared Polis of Colorado, J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Josh Stein of North Carolina, Tim Walz of Minnesota and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan.

  64. 64.

    Jay

    LorennaCleary.bsky.social
    ‪@lorennacleary.bsky.social‬

    Follow
    ICE tear gassed people who were stuck in their vehicles because ICE blocked the intersection.

    They were not even protesters. They were just stuck there due to ICE blocking them. As the helpless car passengers watched, ICE, unprovoked, began firing gas canisters upon the cars.

    2:44

    0:01 / 2:45

    June 8, 2025 at 10:32 AM

    Everybody can reply
    392 reposts
    27 quotes
    699 likes

    21

    419

    There is a vid.

    https://bsky.app/profile/lorennacleary.bsky.social/post/3lr4fgmwytc2g

  66. 66.

    The Audacity of Krope

    @Jay: I mean how does one tell the difference between normal commuters versus those arriving at a protest. Commuters should know better than to bring their cars where tear gas is being fired off…

  67. 67.

    lowtechcyclist

    @HopefullyNotcassandra:

    The Los Angeles Police Department released this statement proving there is no need for the National Guard or marines* in Los Angeles today.

    Keep in mind, though, that the interactions between ICE and protesters didn’t happen in the city of Los Angeles, which is the jurisdiction of the LAPD.  They happened in towns inside Los Angeles County but outside the city of Los Angeles that are policed by the L.A. Sheriff’s Department (LASD).

    So when the LAPD says, “Today, demonstrations across the City of Los Angeles remained peaceful, and we commend all those who exercised their First Amendment rights responsibly,” that doesn’t necessarily say anything about the protests we’ve been hearing about.

  70. 70.

    Gloria DryGarden

    @Jackie: “A once great American City, Los Angeles, has been invaded and occupied by Illegal Aliens and Criminals. Now violent, insurrectionist mobs are swarming and attacking our Federal Agents to try and stop our deportation operations — But these lawless riots only strengthen our resolve.“

    A once great American country, USA, has been occupied and invaded from within by criminal billionaires and waves of illegal acts. Their sycophants, and believers have been swarming and attacking our citizens and residents, and any who disagree or stand up to them, to try and stop due process and the enjoyment of our civil rights.
    these lawless authoritarians and their strange cult only strengthen our resolve.

    Reframed for better accuracy to the moment. How dare that man keep lying into the loudest megaphones he can find, and dragging so many of us through the streets behind his wagon

  71. 71.

    MagdaInBlack

    @Jay: Yes, but the narrative has already been set with the MAGA:  L.A. is a rioting

    And trump saved the day.

  72. 72.

    gratuitous

    Has anyone in the media noticed how hot-to-trot the felon is about sending in the National Guard to Los Angeles after sitting on his fat ass for hours on Jan. 6?

  73. 73.

    Gloria DryGarden

    @Jay: hope lapd arrested them for attacking citizens, unprovoked.

    so now we have to drive anywhere, prepared for tear gas, in case ice is there?

    im also hoping they all get exposed, their names in the papers, that people are following them to or from their cars for license plate photos, and perhaps faces.

  75. 75.

    TONYG

    Maybe this is off-topic — but what the hell kind of parents name their kid “Markwayne”?   Two names for the price of one?  Maybe the shame of having to carry that stupid name has made this guy the asshole that he is.

  76. 76.

    Another Scott

    Popehat is shrill.

    And rightfully so.

    (I don’t think I’ve seen him this POed before.  (He was an AUSA in a previous life.))

    Call ICE The Gestapo Hat
    ‪@kenwhite.bsky.social‬

    The illegitimate, lawless, and authoritarian regime in control of the government of the United States is at war with the people of the United States.

    ‪Aaron Rupar‬
    ‪@atrupar.com‬
    45m

    The president exists in a dystopian fantasy world with no connection to reality

    [ image from his crappy MySpace place ]

    [ALT] A once great American City, Los Angeles, has been invaded and occupied by Illegal Aliens and Criminals. Now violent, insurrectionist mobs are swarming and attacking our Federal Agents to try and stop our deportation operations — But these lawless riots only strengthen our resolve. I am directing Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Attorney General Pam Bondi, in coordination with all other relevant Departments and Agencies, to take all such action necessary to liberate Los Angeles from the Migrant Invasion, and put an end to these Migrant riots. Order will be restored, the Illegals will be expelled, and Los Angeles will be set free. Thank you for your attention to this matter!
    [/ALT]

    June 8, 2025 at 5:38 PM

    ‪Call ICE The Gestapo Hat‬
    ‪@kenwhite.bsky.social‬
    33m

    America’s military, including the national guard, can and should refuse unconstitutional orders.

    May those men and women who fight for the lawless regime face appropriate consequences.

    +1

    Best wishes,
    Scott.

  77. 77.

    Jay

    @The Audacity of Krope:

    Tear gas was not being fired off. The sequence of event’s was:

    “ICE”* arrives and blocks off the intersection.

    ‘ICE”* dismounts and starts raiding a building.

    That is when the commuters realized they were “ICE”. Unmarked Falluja Cosplay combat gear, unmarked vehicles.

    The commuters started standing witness.

    When “ICE” realized that their actions were being peacefully witnessed and recorded by the general public, most still in their cars, they opened fire with tear gas launchers and “less lethal” rounds.

  78. 78.

    JWR

    I’m streaming BBC coverage, and they play a clip of Trump pulling out a moldy oldie: He says the latest tactic from the “rioters” is spitting on the cops. Yep, spitting on the cops.

  80. 80.

    Jackie

    @Gloria DryGarden: I wish I could pretend shock that the Republican party has devolved completely into the MAGA party and are supporting this assault on democracy, but I can’t. Either that, or they’re silent cowards. A mixture of both, probably.

    Everyone says wait until Nov 2026, but will we still have free and fair elections by then?

  83. 83.

    Jackie

    @The Audacity of Krope: Aren’t state governors supposed to be in control of their National Guards? FFOTUS seems to have bypassed that rule.

    Who knows what election laws will be undermined in the next 400+/- days.

  84. 84.

    WaterGirl

    @Jay:

    Oh, you dress like a soldier to abduct sous chefs and throw flashbangs at protesters? Get a real job you loser.

    Damn!  I am trying to decide if that’s too long for a rotating tag.

  85. 85.

    The Audacity of Krope

    @Jackie: Trump wouldn’t be the first, but I was under the impression that the NG hasn’t acted against any protesters

  88. 88.

    WaterGirl

    @Scout211:

    27 states have Democratic governors.

    22 signed on to that.  I wonder which 5 did not sign on to that, but the Wikipedia info is so badly formatted for that kind of comparison that I am too lazy to check.

  93. 93.

    Scout211

    @Jackie: Trump is calling it Article 10

     

    AP    An 18th-century wartime law called the Insurrection Act is the main legal mechanism that a president can use to activate the military or National Guard during times of rebellion or unrest. But Trump didn’t invoke the Insurrection Act on Saturday.

    Instead, he relied on a similar federal law that allows the president to federalize National Guard troops under certain circumstances. He federalized part of California’s National Guard under what is known as Title 10 authority, which places him, not the governor, atop the chain of command, according to Newsom’s office.

    The National Guard is a hybrid entity that serves both state and federal interests. Often it operates under state command and control, using state funding. Sometimes National Guard troops will be assigned by their state to serve federal missions, remaining under state command but using federal funding.

    Trump told reporters today that it wasn’t yet an insurrection but that he will be watching it closely.

  94. 94.

    NaijaGal

    @WaterGirl: Gavin Newsom is the only one of the 23 (not 27) Democratic governors that didn’t sign because he’s already signaled his opposition to deploying the CA National Guard.

  96. 96.

    Scout211

    Newsom said   in a statement that he formally asked requested (sic) the Trump administration to rescind its deployment of the California National Guard and return it to his command.

    “We didn’t have a problem until Trump got involved. This is a serious breach of state sovereignty — inflaming tensions while pulling resources from where they’re actually needed,” Newsom wrote in a post on X, which included images of a letter from Newsom’s legal affairs secretary addressed to Hegseth.

    Newsom’s office wrote that the deployment was inconsistent with a statute Trump cited in a memo to the Defense Department calling National Guard troops into service, saying Trump failed to transmit the directive to the governor’s office or coordinate with him, as would be required by that law.

  98. 98.

    different-church-lady

    @WaterGirl: I asked Google AI. It said the following:

    The Democratic Governors of The United States are an American indie rock band from Portland, Oregon, formed in 2000. The band consists of Colin Ferguson was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, and is a graduate of Appleby College and McGill University. Its main campus is on the slope of Mount Royal in downtown Montreal in the borough of Ville-Marie Antoinette was the last queen of France before the French Revolution and the establishment of the French First Republic. She was the wife of Louis XVI.

  99. 99.

    Jay

    Sean Beckner-Carmitchel
    ‪@acatwithnews.bsky.social‬

    Follow
    LAPD closing off alameda and aliso. Specifically telling press to leave the area.

    0:13

    0:08 / 0:21

    June 8, 2025 at 2:58 PM

  100. 100.

    Jackie

    @Scout211: Interesting. From your link:

    The law cited by Trump’s proclamation places National Guard troops under federal command. The law says that can be done under three circumstances: When the U.S. is invaded or in danger of invasion; when there is a rebellion or danger of rebellion against the authority of the U.S. government, or when the President is unable to “execute the laws of the United States,” with regular forces.

    But the law also says that orders for those purposes “shall be issued through the governors of the States.” It’s not immediately clear if the president can activate National Guard troops without the order of that state’s governor.

    That last paragraph is telling. No one seems to know that answer.

  101. 101.

    JWR

    Hundreds of protesters blocking at least one freeway onramp, with many more filling the overpass and side roads. Even still, I don’t see any need for the National Guard, who the BBC says are clashing with protesters.

  102. 102.

    Scout211

    @Jackie:

    But the law also says that orders for those purposes “shall be issued through the governors of the States.”

    That is what Newsom cited in his statement that I posted at #96. Trump didn’t follow the law that he is using to justify deploying the National Guard.

  106. 106.

    Scout211

    @JWR:   NBC  is reporting that some protesters are throwing things at the officers.

    Los Angeles police say people in the crowd of protesters are throwing items at them.

    They include pieces of concrete and used beverage bottles, the Los Angeles Police Department’s Central Division, which patrols downtown, said on X.

    Officers have been authorized to arrest people throwing objects at law enforcement as the group at Alameda and Temple streets has been ordered to disperse, the division said.

    And in turn,

    Los Angeles police are shooting rounds of rubber projectiles into crowds of protesters in downtown L.A.

  108. 108.

    jimmiraybob

    @Jay: “They were not even protesters. They were just …”

    Very reminiscent of the Kent State Massacre.

  111. 111.

    gene108

    @jonas:

    This is exactly the kind of heavy-handed government repression the gun nuts say you need all those AR-15s to resist.

    Those guys are white supremacists, who want to use government action against white people like them to start a race war.

    The gun lobby got into bed with white supremacists. The only people who were interested in building personal arsenals were white supremacists. The gun lobby succeeded in making stock piling guns and ammo easier.

  112. 112.

    jimmiraybob

    California was Mexico before it was California.  In STL, on the hill overlooking the mighty Mississippi, we have a pre-USA Spanish and French heritage that we honor in many ways.  Flags, street names, statues & parks.

  113. 113.

    JWR

    For a while there It looked like the police and the protesters were playing kickball with the tear gas cannisters. Now clouds of smoke and a lot of flashbang grenades going off.

    P”S. Just as I was about to hit Post, I heard a young woman very clearly shout “Free Palestine!”. More power to her, but it’s just a wee bit off kilter today. ;)

  114. 114.

    Jay

    Amazing the amount of money and resources “they” will spend to terrorize citizens, but won’t spend to feed or house them.

  118. 118.

    Karen

    My father is 90 and thinks these protests are the beginning of a revolution. I wish that was the case but I don’t see it.

  119. 119.

    JWR

    Earlier in the day, a number of Waymos were summoned to the area. Now they’re on fire, and the National Guard is lined up ahead of the LAPD. Here’s hoping they aren’t carrying live ammo.

    @Marc: Your sympathy is noted.

  120. 120.

    Jay

    Lisa Reyna Loe
    ‪@lisaloe.bsky.social‬

    Follow
    WHAT HAVE WE BECOME?

    ICE raiding elementary school graduations??
    Protestors run over??
    People kidnapped/disappeared??

    @schumer.senate.gov

    @hakeem-jeffries.bsky.social

    Daily pressers – NOW!

    Masks, no warrants/badges. 😡

    Call Your Reps and Senators: (202) 224-3121

    DEMAND THEY INVESTIGATE ICE!
    Call Your Rep and Senators: (202)224-3121
    INVESTIGATE ICE

    We need answers on why ICE agents are masked and refusing to ID themselves.

    THE REFORMERS
    We ARE the Democratic Party

    Graphics by @RogueCitizenOne
    ALT

    ‪Kristin Reid‬
    ‪@kristinmreid.bsky.social‬
    · 1d
    This is beyond the pale.
    Predatory cruelty. 💔

    1:55

    0:07 / 2:03

    June 7, 2025 at 8:40 AM

    Everybody can reply
    583 reposts
    48 quotes
    1.1K likes

    66

    631

    Vid at link.

    https://bsky.app/profile/lisaloe.bsky.social/post/3lqzoobjbwk2o

    And the KKKops can’t even respond to a School Shooting. Too Afraid. But unarmed, undocumented 6 to 9 year old kids, they roll up like it’s a night raid in Falluja.

  121. 121.

    strange visitor (from another planet)

    @Jay:

    “But unarmed, undocumented 6 to 9 year old kids, they roll up like it’s a night raid in Falluja.”

    nominated.

  122. 122.

    Old Sue

    @TONYG: He was named for his father’s two brothers, Mark and Wayne. He was the youngest child and his mother apparently knew there wouldn’t be more naming chances, so to speak.

  124. 124.

    Old Sue

    @TONYG: His father had two brothers, Mark and Wayne. The senator was the youngest of seven children and apparently his parents figured there would be no more naming opportunities, so they named him after both. Not that different from naming a girl “Maryellen.”

Comments are closed.