Former Vice President and failed presidential candidate Kamala Harris (D) has spoken out about her concern in Los Angeles, but not in regard to the vehicles being lit on fire or the projectiles being thrown by violent protesters. Rather Harris voiced her concerns against the decision to deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles, calling it a “dangerous escalation meant to provoke chaos.” According to Breitbart, Harris’s statement, released more than 30 hours after riots erupted against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents did not directly condemn the violence targeting federal officers.
Harris emphasized her personal connection to the city, saying, “Los Angeles is my home.” She went on to criticize the Trump administration, arguing that their actions were not motivated by concerns for public safety but were instead “about stoking fear.”
She went on to highlight the so-called “peacefulness” of the protest, despite the enormous flames erupting in the streets. “Fear of a community demanding dignity and due process,” Harris said. “Protest is a powerful tool — essential in the fight for justice. And as the LAPD, Mayor, and Governor have noted, demonstrations in defense of our immigrant neighbors have been overwhelmingly peaceful.”
Harris’s assertion that the protests were mostly peaceful comes as social media footage has circulated, showing protesters throwing objects, such as rocks, at Border Patrol vehicles, vandalizing federal buildings with graffiti, and setting vehicles on fire.
Other prominent Democrats, including California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, have also criticized President Trump’s move to federalize 2,000 National Guard troops in response to the unrest.
Bass expressed concern over the heightened tension, stating, “The fear people are feeling in our city right now is very real – it’s felt in our communities and within our families and it puts our neighborhoods at risk,” Bass said, adding a point suggesting that she hopes the protests continue in the “peaceful” way they have unfolded, flames, rocks, and all. “This is the last thing that our city needs, and I urge protestors to remain peaceful.”
Governor Newsom also issued a statement on Saturday, echoing concerns about the federal response, stating that the deployment of the National Guard will “only escalate tensions.”
