Although it has been happening for a while, the blending of protest movements is occurring with regular frequency now. We see climate activist Greta Thunberg in a ridiculous quest to bring food aid to Gaza. We see LA anti-ICE protesters displaying Palestinian flags, and we hear a murderous anti-Semite try to justify his actions to kill Jews, shout “Free Palestine.”
The optics of vandalizing
protesters and the flying of Mexican flags are good for Trump, whose approval
rating on immigration continues to be favorable, despite the hardline tactics
used by ICE. California has a large Hispanic population and is the largest
population of the Mexican diaspora. Trump supporters are decrying the use of
“foreign flags,” although one could more or less say the same about the
Confederate flags amply displayed at the J6 protests. NBC reports that
‘anarcho-socialist extremism’ is common at some protests where decentralized
groups seek to cause destruction.
“Many of the people seen hurling objects at police and
setting fires were dressed in all black, their faces covered in masks. Some
waved Mexican flags, others Palestinian flags. At least one man was
photographed wearing a Hamas armband.”
They mention a group called
Unity of Fields, a pro-Palestine group that has been present in the recent LA
protests.
“Unity of Fields, which was formerly known as Palestine
Action US, describes itself as a “militant front against the US-NATO-zionist
axis of imperialism.”
These sick bastards are raising money for the man who
gunned down two Israeli Embassy staffers last month. Some of these people and
groups have been deemed as practicing “assassination culture,” strongly
approving of the killing of the United Healthcare CEO last year. Here is a
quote via NBC from Unity of Fields referring to themselves as the Hamas Marxist
Army:
“NYC, how are you gonna let Angelenos beat you at your
favorite pastime (terrorizing police officers)?” the group said Monday on X.
“Hamas Marxist Army get down there and show them what New Yorkers can do when
they put their heads together!"
Apparently, policy advisor Stephen Miller’s desire to
arrest 3000 people per day is driving ICE to ignore past rules and protocols
and arrest people in formerly off-limits public places like schools and
workplaces. Perhaps Miller wants to make sure they deport as many people as
Obama (3.6 million) and Biden (4.4 million), but that is not a comparable or
reasonable goal since there are significantly fewer people entering the country
now than when Obama and Biden were president. ICE tactics have rightly been criticized
as heavy-handed.
ICE and DHS Are Using Despicable Tactics
Another serious issue is
arresting and deporting people who have committed no crimes. The Trump
administration has argued that it would focus on finding and deporting
criminals, but that does not appear to be the case. Many legal residents have
been caught up in these dragnets, as have many people with former temporary
protected status (TPS). The loss of TPS for people from several countries
enacted by the Trump administration makes more people deportable.
ICE has also been accused of
not identifying themselves, apprehending without warrants, not giving people
access to legal recourse, and not allowing due process, which is expected by
law to be afforded to all people regardless of their immigration status. After
all, being undocumented is still considered a misdemeanor. They have been
accused of lying to school authorities and children, separating families, and
taking away people who are sick and pregnant. Detention centers are
overcrowded, and there have been several reports of the lack of basic dignity
afforded to those captured. Deporting to immensely poor third-world countries
like South Sudan has occurred. Deporting people not accused of a crime to the
notorious El Salvadoran prisons is not fair at all. I do agree that Bukele has
done a good job fighting violent criminal gangs in his country, although these
prisons are likely to cross the line into torture and inhumane treatment.
Certainly, they are not the place for those who are not violent.
While Miller and Trump have
argued that California is under an invasion of “illegals,” the facts are
different. According to the Washington Post:
“Unauthorized immigrants in California remain well below
the peak of nearly 3 million more than a decade ago for reasons that often have
little to do with enforcement — or Trump.”
“The immigration arrests in California have rattled one
of the nation’s oldest and most established undocumented immigrant communities.
While city and state leaders say they do not condone any violence, they note
that most demonstrations have been peaceful. In contrast, they say, Immigration
and Customs Enforcement officers and the Trump administration are targeting
longtime residents, parents and children, and making them afraid to go to
church, school or work. They say the president should try to find a legislative
solution for them instead.”
Miller’s meeting with ICE,
where he berated their leaders for not arresting more people, led to the
increased focus on making arrests in a variety of sites
Many have returned to their
countries of origin or moved to more affordable U.S. states, particularly those
from Mexico. It has been estimated that about 800,000 undocumented immigrants
in California returned to Mexico as Mexico’s economy and government institutions
have improved over the last 15 years.
“Illegal aliens and violent criminal protestors have
spent the last several days attacking law enforcement, waving foreign flags,
lighting cars on fire, and unleashing a state of outright anarchy,” White House
deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson said in a statement. “Anyone downplaying
this behavior, or asking why it’s bad, is either an idiot or a propagandist for
the Democrat party.”
Newsom and many others have
pointed out that the LA protests occurred in a small area of the city and are
not spread all over it. Thus, there is no massive chaos going on. He accused
Trump of unnecessarily escalating and politicizing a manageable situation as a
political ploy to paint anti-ICE protestors as radicals when the vast majority
are not. The result will be a bill of $134 million for military deployments,
according to Hegseth. Others characterized the protests as a police riot where
the police unnecessarily escalated. A video of a journalist being shot at close
range with a rubber bullet is proof of that, as well as other
incidents.
Some Protestors Use Despicable Tactics
While there have been some
undesirable and unacceptable criminal actions by protestors, the situation did
not get out of hand aside from a small number of late-night actions. California
Governor Gavin Newsom says local law enforcement can easily handle the
situation and has arrested hundreds already. The decision to bring in the
National Guard and Marines without the state asking for them has been deemed
overkill. Newsom also noted that it was Trump who fanned the flames of the
protests. Many people object to the use of the U.S. military to quell protests.
Former Trump Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is one of them, as he noted in a 2020
post regarding the George Floyd protests.
The protestors have also
burned autonomous Waymo vehicles. These are EVs that burn very well and produce
very toxic smoke, providing an air quality risk, including lung-damaging
hydrogen fluoride. EV batteries burn at very high temperatures and burn the
cars nearly completely. This is due to the thermal runaway of the battery.
Scientific American reports:
“Among the disturbing scenes from the recent Los Angeles
protests, which erupted over federal immigration raids, are those in which
protestors stood around the flaming Waymos. Historically, first responders
without supplied-air protection have developed throat burns and breathing
difficulties upon arriving at scenes with burning lithium-ion batteries.
Depending on the hydrogen fluoride levels, an exposed person can begin coughing
up blood within minutes. Whereas inhaling concentrations above roughly 30 parts
per million (ppm) is immediately dangerous to health, 50 ppm may be fatal when
inhaled for a half-hour to an hour, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that
exposure to 170 ppm for 10 minutes can be deadly. Measurements taken near
electric-vehicle (EV) fires show peaks of 150 to 450 ppm, with levels during
much of the fire hovering around 50 ppm.”
It is certainly understandable that we should seek to prevent protests from erupting into violence, vandalism, arson, and other crimes. A lot of what happened in 2020 during the Black Lives Matter protests was unacceptable. I agree with Attorney General Pam Bondi that looting should be prosecuted as robbery. An image below shows a building burned during the 2020 BLM protests.
Provocateurs at protests can be quite problematic. They can be far-left groups or far-right groups. When far-right groups like the Boogaloos and the Proud Boys get involved in a largely leftist protest, there are problems.
Another issue is doxxing. ICE agents wear masks, in part, to avoid being identified, doxxed, and harassed.
Immigration is the Main Issue Around the World That Has
Empowered Far Right Movements
It is no secret that a
backlash against illegal migration is a main factor in the growth of far-right
movements around the world. I believe that, in large part, immigration is a
good thing and has the ability to help the immigrants and the countries they
settle in, if done legally and without chaos. Caravans and desperate arrivals
where migrants are mistreated by human traffickers and “coyotes” are a sad
fact. However, many of those people are and should be deported. It is unfortunate,
though, that many cannot come legally. Trump 2.0 was empowered by the Biden
administration's failure on immigration. Despite deporting a whopping 4.4
million people in four years, so many people came in during the Biden years
that it was a problem and an easy one to politicize. An article in the New York
Times with podcaster Ross Douthat interviewing conservative scholar Matthew
Continetti, notes:
“It was the effects of the immigration crisis over the
last four years that has flipped public opinion on its head, to the point where
Trump has carte blanche to do what he deems necessary to seal the border and to
deport illegal immigrants.”
They go on and suggest that
wokeism is an umbrella term that encompasses ideas like open borders, among
other things, and that anti-wokeism defines modern conservatives better than
anything else. I do think that so-called woke policies lead to backlash and
that backlash has empowered Trumplicans more than anything else.
Do Socialists and Anarchist Movements Fund and Empower
These Protests?
As noted, there is often a
presence of ‘anarcho-socialists’ at protests. They are often masked, tend to
dress in black, and tend to lead actions such as arson and vandalism. The Party
for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) has officially backed anti-ICE protests, as
it backed BLM protests in 2020. The originators of the BLM movement had also
expressed socialist values and had long aligned with anti-Zionism and the BDS
movement. The coalescing of far-left issues, namely anti-ICE, pro-Palestine,
and the climate movement, has long been a thing. An article in The Telegraph
notes:
“Kaffiyeh-clad rioters, faces covered in masks and
carrying various Palestinian-related paraphernalia, have attacked police cars
and hurled Molotov cocktails in both Los Angeles and New Orleans this past
week. This is the globalising of the intifada.”
The Telegraph article goes on to blame identity politics in
the form of intersectionality. While there is some truth to that, I think it is
stretched a bit.
“The false belief that alignment with one identity-based
cause demands alignment with all identity-based causes explains why gay groups
and feminists bafflingly champion Hamas, despite the fact it is a misogynistic
and homophobic terror group.”
“With their focus on ethnic minorities and Trump
militarism, the current riots were almost purpose built for intersectional
co-option.”
Elias Rodriguez, the suspect
in the murder of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, DC, participated
in an anti-police brutality demonstration organized by PLS in 2017. PLS has
been funded by a U.S. billionaire based in China, Neville Roy Singham, who has
also been associated with the Chinese Communist Party. He has funded several
radical anti-Israel and Marxist groups. A Congressional committee has summoned
him to appear at a hearing and plans to subpoena him if he doesn’t come
voluntarily. PLS is clearly a Marxist group.
Alex Soros, the son of Jewish
billionaire and philanthropist George Soros, recently expressed outrage that
the radical climate group Sunrise Movement was focusing heavily on
pro-Palestine protests, noting:
"We gave them money, and now all they do is talk
about Palestine. It’s ridiculous."
They are clearly anti-Zionist, and anti-Zionism is quite
arguably a form of anti-Semitism. Sunrise Movement has been credibly accused of
anti-Semitism. One of their statements read in part
"Climate justice means freedom for Palestinians."
The link between climate groups and
anti-Zionist/pro-Palestine groups is vast and well-established. A May 20204
article in Prism notes
“In late April, state police arrived on The Ohio State
University’s campus and charged two student protesters with criminal
trespassing. One was a member of Students for Justice in Palestine; the other
was part of Ohio Youth for Climate Justice. The two groups came together for a
rally demanding their university divest from “corporations supporting [Israeli]
apartheid [and] fossil fuel companies [operating] in occupied Palestine,”
according to their social media.”
The BDS movement and the
fossil fuel divestment movement are closely related. The Biden EPA was
considering withholding a $50 million grant to the Climate Justice Alliance in
November 2024 due to their anti-Israel/pro-Palestinian views. It shows two
things: 1) that climate justice is a different thing from environmental
justice, and 2) the Biden administration was conflating the two and has given
money to groups with radical agendas. Trump’s EPA rightfully rescinded the grant.
Capitol Research did an
online posting analysis of anti-Israel groups and found that many were
decidedly anti-American and were promoting violence more and more. They also
noted that many of these groups are associated with charities and other
non-profits. Some of their findings are given below:
· Hateful
anti-American and anti-police posts endorsing violence skyrocketed 3,000
percent during the 15 months after the attacks in comparison to the 15 months
prior to the attacks, indicating that the movement is rapidly radicalizing.
· The
“pro-Palestinian” movement’s anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli tropes largely
depict Israel as an appendage of a villainized United States. In other words,
hatred of Israel is commonly rooted in anti-Americanism, anti-Westernism, and
anti-capitalism.
It is clear that the
anti-colonialism, anti-corporatism, anti-capitalism, socialism, anarchism,
anti-Zionism, anti-fossil fuel, defund the police, and climate justice
movements are related and strongly overlapping. The Biden administration made a
significant error in empowering such groups, or at least in not condemning
them.
What Will Happen This Weekend?
Anti-Trump “No Kings”
protests are planned in 1800 cities on June 14, a couple of days from now. This
also coincides with Trump’s military parade in Washington, D.C. I wonder how
these will play out. Will there be clashes? I certainly hope not. Protests need
to be peaceful, and to be sure, the vast majority of them in the U.S. are
peaceful.
References:
Group
Stoking Anti-ICE LA Riots Tied To Pro-Chinese Communist Millionaire. Opinion by
Hudson Crozier. Daily Caller. June 9, 2025. Group Stoking Anti-ICE LA Riots Tied
To Pro-Chinese Communist Millionaire
Thermal
Runaway Explains Why Waymo Cars Burned So Completely in the Recent Los Angeles
Protests. Scientific American. Deni Ellis Béchard. June 9, 2025. Why the Waymo Car Fires in Recent Los
Angeles Protests Caused the Robotaxis to Burn So Completely | Scientific
American
The
Mexican flag has become a defining symbol of the LA protests. Lex Harvey. CNN.
June 10, 2025. The Mexican flag has become a
defining symbol of the LA protests | CNN
Fact-checking
Trump and Miller’s claims of a ‘migrant invasion’ in California. Maria
Sacchetti. Washington Post. June 10, 2025. Fact-checking Trump and Miller’s
claims of a ‘migrant invasion’ in California
U.S.
braces for massive anti-Trump protest as organizers expect millions. Alex
Stezhensky. New Voice of Ukraine. June 11, 2025. U.S. braces for massive anti-Trump
protest as organizers expect millions
Some
far-left groups have encouraged peaceful protests to turn violent, experts say.
Rich Schapiro. NBC News. June 12, 2025. Some
far-left groups have encouraged peaceful protests to turn violent, experts say
LA
riots, BLM, Save Gaza: get ready for a summer of destructive far-Left activism.
Opinion by David Kaufman. The Telegraph. June 12, 2025. LA
riots, BLM, Save Gaza: get ready for a summer of destructive far-Left activism
Congress
demands investigation into China-based billionaire Neville Roy Singham, who’s
funding radical groups — including one linked to LA riots. Isabel Vincent. New
York Post. June 11, 2025. Congress
demands investigation into China-based billionaire Neville Roy Singham, who’s
funding radical groups — including one linked to LA riots
Alex
Soros fumes at left-wing climate group over 'Palestine' obsession: 'What the
hell'. Sunrise Movement received massive funding from Soros-backed Democracy
PAC and Sixteen-Thirty Fund in 2020. Peter Pinedo and Cameron Arcand. Fox News.
April 24, 2025. Alex
Soros lashes out at radical climate group over 'Palestine' obsession | Fox News
Pro-Palestine
protesters find solidarity with climate advocates at student encampments. Student
protesters across the U.S. are pointing out how Israel’s destructive campaign
results in climate devastation. Jill Webb. Prism. May 13, 2024. Pro-Palestine
protesters find solidarity with climate advocates
EPA
may withhold grant due to climate group’s pro-Palestinian views. Jean Chemnick.
E&E News. November 21, 2024. EPA
may withhold grant due to climate group's pro-Palestinian views - E&E News
by POLITICO
Climate
group that called for ‘free Palestine’ stripped of federal funding. Justine
Calma. The Verge. February 14, 2025. Climate
group that called for ‘free Palestine’ stripped of federal funding | The Verge
When
Charities Betray America: How “Pro-Palestinian” Protest Groups Promote
Anti-Americanism. Data analysis warns of escalating terrorism threat. Ryan
Mauro. March 26, 2025. Capitol Research. When
Charities Betray America: How “Pro-Palestinian” Protest Groups Promote
Anti-Americanism -Capital Research Center
Trump’s
Future Depends on His Immigration Crackdown. A historian of conservatism
explains what holds a fractious coalition together. Interesting Times podcast.
New York Times. Ross Douthat and Matthew Continetti. June 12, 2025. Opinion
| Trump’s Future Depends on His Immigration Crackdown - The New York Times
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