Nancy Pelosi, 52nd Speaker of the US House, has expressed her disgust after “the Trump Administration’s escalation and provocation in California” which “inflames tensions and incites violence”.
Her statement is coming after President Trump deployed National Guard Troops to the city of Los Angeles in California following riots due to demonstrations in the area.
Demonstrations started outside in downtown LA on Friday after it emerged Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers were conducting raids across the city.
The protests in Los Angeles were targeted against ICE, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who have been carrying out immigration raids to deport non-legal residents.
Rubber bullets, stun grenades and other non-lethal weapons have been used against the protesters to disperse them.
After deploying hundreds of National Guard Troops, President Trump deployed additional 2,000 troops and 700 Marines to ensure the protection of Federal property and personnel.
These deployments angered Governor of the State of California, Gavin Newsom, who wrote the President calling for the withdrawal of the troops from Los Angeles.
However, President Trump said, Newsom alongside “Mayor,” Karen Bass, should apologize to the people of Los Angeles following the ongoing riots.
California Governor Gavin Newsom made known, he will take legal action against the administration over the deployments.
In her reaction, Pelosi said, “now, the President of the United States said he would arrest a sitting American governor just for disagreeing with these actions.”
The demonstrations are spreading across the United States (US) in solidarity of Los Angeles against the immigration authorities.
The former Speaker said, “this is a hallmark of authoritarianism on the road to tyranny”, adding, every American “should be shocked and appalled by the President’s blatant disregard for our Constitutional system”.
She said, the people of America should be free to exercise their constitutional right to “lawfully and peacefully protest”.
It is critical to “shine a bright light on the unlawful tactics” of the current administration so that “freedom of speech prevails”, she further said.
Nancy Pelosi said: “The Trump Administration’s escalation and provocation in California inflames tensions and incites violence. Now, the President of the United States said he would arrest a sitting American governor just for disagreeing with these actions.
“This is a hallmark of authoritarianism on the road to tyranny – and all Americans should be shocked and appalled by the President’s blatant disregard for our Constitutional system.
“The American people must be able to exercise their Constitutional right to lawfully and peacefully protest. It is essential that we shine a bright light on the unlawful tactics of the Trump Administration so that freedom of speech prevails.”
Director of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kash Patel, has come out to clarify that, he works for the American people not for politicians, saying, he will ensure the restoration of law and order to the city of Los Angeles.
Patel said, Los Angeles is “under siege by marauding criminals”, assuring, “we will restore law and order”.
