President Trump’s weekend statements portrayed Los Angeles as a city consumed by violent protests and “insurrection” over immigration raids. However, Governor Gavin Newsom and other officials have issued urgent warnings to Californians on how not to play into the president’s hands.
Newsom described the situation as a deliberate attempt to inflame passions and provoke a response. He urged protesters to avoid giving the president the spectacle he wants, citing concerns that the violence would be used to justify more crackdowns.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also condemned violence but criticized the federal government’s response as “unneccessary.” She called the administration’s actions “posturing” and said they were disrupting a city already going through much.
Immigration rights groups have called for peaceful rallies, warning that the National Guard was deployed to provoke a response. Some protesters, like Julie Solis, who held a Mexican flag urging calm, echoed this sentiment, saying they need to be peaceful and eloquent to avoid being provoked by law enforcement.
Despite Trump’s claims of chaos, Los Angeles County saw scattered clashes between authorities and protesters on Saturday but remained relatively calm overall. The complex political situation has left California officials navigating a perilous middle ground, where they must call for law and order while avoiding escalating the situation further.
Source: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-06-08/california-political-stakes