Trump’s GI Joe-Cosplaying “Goon Squads” Sow Terror — and Solidarity
Across the country demonstrators are preparing for a weekend of protests against U S Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations Donald Trump s planned June military parade and Trump himself Ground zero for these demonstrations is likely to be Los Angeles where heavily armed ICE agents have carried out raids at churches graduations parking lots and scores of other gathering spots in the last few days The level of armament that these guys are wearing is out of a GI Joe movie announced Salvador G Sarmiento the campaign director and lawyer for the -member National Day Laborer Organizing Organization It seems like the federal police is just driving around willy-nilly dressed up as a goon squad picking up people that they see on a street corner The federal authorities is violently taking people from their work sites in military fashion added Jonah Valdez reporter for The Intercept This week on The Intercept Briefing Sarmiento and Valdez joined host Jordan Uhl to discuss the wave of ICE operations sweeping Los Angeles that have sparked a week of protests and the militarized response from law enforcement Several weeks ago White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller went on Fox News to tout the Trump administration s goal of ICE arrests per day Shortly after that federal agents targeted day laborers outside several Los Angeles-area Home Depots and raided Ambiance Apparel a clothing manufacturer in the heart of downtown Sarmiento hypothesized that LA s reputation as a multicultural multiracial working-class city bothers Trump administration representatives like Miller and Tom Homan Trump s demarcation czar If anything triggers Stephen Miller more than the city of Los Angeles itself it s undocumented workers that are visible on a street corner Sarimento stated Day laborers are often a target As videos of agents clad in tactical gear and armored vehicles spread online so did fear and resistance Protests erupted against the federal regime s aggressive and militaristic push into communities Related LAPD Won t Do Immigration Enforcement But Will Shoot You With Rubber Bullets for Protesting ICE The law enforcement response against protesters escalated speedily with so-called less-lethal munitions being fired at the crowd on Sunday I spoke with five people total who were hit and injured by LAPD mostly but also California Highway Patrol mentioned Valdez One of them has a pretty bad injury on his arm where the ER medical practitioner notified him he s worried about long-term nerve damage and mobility Sarmiento Valdez and Uhl also discussed how the protests have been misrepresented by right-wing and mainstream media outlets and the importance of population solidarity People have to continue showing up because there s no politician no elected official no foundation nobody in D C or Sacramento that s going to come save the day Sarmiento disclosed It s the people it s our neighbors it s our loved ones it s our family it s our friends our co-workers that we re all counting on As people head to the streets again this weekend protesters should be informed about their constitutional rights and safety options The episode also features practical advice from attorney Isabella Salom o Nascimento You can hear the full conversation of The Intercept Briefing on Apple Podcasts Spotify or wherever you listen The post Trump s GI Joe-Cosplaying Goon Squads Sow Terror and Solidarity appeared first on The Intercept
