In a recent interview on CNNs State of the Union, Democrat Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass expressed her perspective on the city's "No Kings" protest against President Donald Trump.
From her vantage point in a helicopter, she described the protest as "overwhelmingly peaceful."
Downtown Los Angeles has been a hotbed of protests and riots since June 6, resulting in widespread vandalism, torched Waymo cars, and looted stores. As the city hosted its own "No Kings" protest on Saturday, Mayor Bass recounted her aerial survey of the city, in search of the 700 Marines that President Trump had dispatched to restore order.
According to the Daily Caller, Mayor Bass stated, I have to say that yesterday I spent time in the helicopter, so I went all over the city in search of these Marines. And Im sorry, but I just didnt see them. What the troops are doing, the Federalized National Guard, is protecting the federal building. She further clarified her stance on the military presence, saying, We dont want them here. They dont need to be here. Our local law enforcement have complete control of this situation.
In addition to the Marines, President Trump had also deployed 2,000 National Guard members to downtown Los Angeles on Saturday. This decision drew criticism from both Mayor Bass and Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom. The Marines and National Guard troops were stationed at the Los Angeles federal building, where they detained a man on Friday and a protester on Saturday.
Mayor Bass maintained her stance on the peaceful nature of the protests, stating, I will tell you, the 30,000 people were downtown LA. There were protests in 15 different locations in our city. I flew over each one of them, and they were overwhelmingly peaceful.
However, the Daily Caller reported that the situation on the ground was more volatile than Mayor Bass suggested. Tensions escalated at the Saturday protest, which saw thousands gather throughout downtown Los Angeles and near both the federal detention center and federal building. Protesters were seen yelling and taunting the National Guard at the steps of the federal building.
An unlawful assembly was declared shortly after, and both Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers and Los Angeles Sheriffs attempted to disperse the massive group away from the federal building.
When the crowd refused to move, tear gas was deployed around 4:18 p.m. The confrontation between protesters and officials continued for hours, with agitators at one point attempting to kick and throw back tear gas at officials.
By 8:40 p.m., the streets of downtown Los Angeles were nearly empty as a curfew for 8 p.m. had been set by officials. Despite Mayor Bass's assertion of control and peace, the events of the day painted a different picture, suggesting a city grappling with unrest and a leadership at odds with the federal response.
Login