Dear John,
The man who instigated an insurrection at the Capitol that resulted in five deaths now claims that people in Los Angeles are launching an insurrection.
They’re not.
Still the Pentagon has activated 700 Marines to join in the military occupation of parts of Los Angeles – on top of 4,000 federalized National Guard. (Last night a judge declared that order illegal and returned control to California Governor Newsom. We’ll see if that continues to hold up throughout appeals.)
The bottom line is that Trump doesn’t give a damn whether the troops are necessary. Nor does he care how many people are injured or even killed in his raid on Los Angeles. The show of military force is the point. It gives him the appearance of power.
That’s why yesterday there was no apology for Senator Alex Padilla after he was forced to the ground, handcuffed, and taken out of a press conference for trying to ask Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem a question.
They aren’t sorry. The violence and intimidation is the point.
The workplace raids that sparked the Los Angeles protests were targeting working people who came to this country in search of a better life, to support their families, or escape repressive regimes and violence in their home countries. In a cruel show of power, Trump sent storm troopers, tear gas, and flash bombs into downtown LA to target migrants despite their vulnerability.
All of this is manufactured by Trump. Trump is sending the military to Los Angeles at a time when state and local officials say there is no need. This is what he wants.
Tell your Senators: End the workplace ICE raids, arrests of nonviolent protesters and observers, and the use of the U.S. military against our communities! Vote against any increases in funding for ICE or new detention facilities.
The central struggle of civilization has always been to stop brutality. Unless we prevent the stronger from attacking or exploiting the weaker, none of us is safe.
A civil society is the opposite of what Trump seeks. A civil society doesn’t allow the strong to brutalize the weak. Unless the bullies are stopped, an entire society – even the world – can descend into chaos.
Under Trump’s command, ICE has repeatedly assaulted, arrested, and even deported people to a foreign torture prison without the due process protections guaranteed by the Constitution. They arrested union leader David Huerta, who was serving as an observer during an ICE raid, on an unjust felony charge of obstruction. They won’t stop there – unless we keep resisting.
Our duty is to stop brutality. Our responsibility is to hold the powerful accountable. Our challenge is to stand up to abuses of power. Our moral obligation is to protect the vulnerable.
As we protest these inhumane abuses, it is essential that we do not allow ourselves to be provoked into violence. We must not give the press any excuse to stop covering the violence of ICE terrorizing communities and tearing families apart.
The country needs to see and understand what this authoritarian regime is doing in our communities.
Take action: Demand your Senators vote against increased funding for expanded ICE raids and the deployment of military force in American communities now.
Thank you for your nonviolent protests against the violence, and please remember: Be smart out there, and be careful.
Robert Reich
Inequality Media Civic Action
