Trump’s Use of National Guard Against Peaceful LA Protesters is Authoritarian Abuse of Power

Interfaith Alliance, a national leader in defending civil rights and multi-faith democracy, is deeply alarmed by President Trump’s authoritarian crackdown on the many thousands of peaceful protesters in the Los Angeles area who have mobilized to protect their families and neighbors from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) abduction raids. These actions could pave the way for the further deployment of the national guard around the country to suppress legitimate protest and dissent. 

In their heavy-handed, aggressive and invasive deployment of ICE in the LA area, including the unprecedented mobilization of the National Guard and threatened deployment of US Marines without any justification or request from California’s governor, it is clear that the Trump Administration seeks to incite and provoke escalation – in order to further justify the use of military force and authoritarian abuses of power against American citizens. 

Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, president and CEO of Interfaith Alliance, released the following statement:

“When thousands of Americans exercise their right to assemble and speak out in protest against the unjust abduction of their neighbors, that is not lawlessness or extremism - it is democracy in action. The Trump Administration’s provocative actions represent an obvious danger to core freedoms and principles of American democracy, and clear evidence of their authoritarian willingness to unconstitutionally use the force of the federal government and the US military against those who oppose their extreme agenda.

“The president is creating a false sense of crisis in Los Angeles as a pretext to spread intimidation and normalize the use of militarized force, and even the US military itself, against Americans exercising their constitutional rights to dissent. He makes no secret of his desire to govern as a strongman above the law – suppressing and punishing those who stand in his way. 

“The right to protest stands alongside the freedom of religion as one of the core constitutional liberties guaranteed by the First Amendment. All religious communities in the United States -- no matter their theological or political leanings -- are equally at risk if any President believes himself above the law and mobilizes the military to suppress the rights of Americans. 

“This Saturday, while Trump further cloaks himself in a display of power with a military parade in Washington, DC, millions of people across the country, including many religious communities and congregations, will take to the streets in peaceful protest with the deeply American and patriotic message of “NO KINGS.” Instead of intimidating us, the crackdown in LA will only further spur us into action. Interfaith Alliance is proud to play an organizing role in these efforts, and we urge all Americans to mobilize to defend our rights, reject authoritarianism, and affirm the shared humanity and dignity of all people.”

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Ben DePasquale, West End Strategy Team, bdepasquale@westendstrategy.com