Divide and dominate: how burning L.A. became Trump’s political stage

Content

1.Protests as a part of U.S. history

2.Causes of modern unrest

3.Course of the protests

4.What experts say, what are the threats to the United States

On the eve of the U.S. Civil War in 1858, Abraham Lincoln - then not yet president, but already a farsighted politician - famously said: “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” These words reflect a deep truth about the fragility of national unity in times of internal strife. Today, as the streets of Los Angeles burn with unrest and the authorities respond with force, it seems America is once again facing a divide - political, social, and ideological. But where might this lead? Espreso explores further.

Protests as a part of U.S. history

The United States of America was born out of protest - the American Revolution of 1775–1783, when the colonies rose up against British rule in pursuit of independence. This spirit of protest and the fight for rights runs throughout the country’s history, though certain issues -such as slavery, civil rights, or immigration - have repeatedly caused deep divisions in society.

The most tragic example of internal conflict in American history was, of course, the Civil War (1861–1865), driven by the issue of slavery. The bloody struggle between the North and the South lasted several years, claimed at least 620,000 lives, and nearly tore the nation apart.

In the mid-twentieth century, the civil rights movement against racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans also sparked mass protests. Peaceful demonstrations, such as the 1963 march on Washington, were combined with violent clashes, including the Los Angeles riots, which killed 34 people, and the Detroit riots, which killed 43 people. These protests forced the government to pass key laws, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, but they also revealed a deep divide in society over racial equality.

A direct historical analogue to the current protests in Los Angeles is the 1992 riots caused by the acquittal of police officers who brutally beat African-American Rodney King. The protests escalated into mass riots, arson and looting that lasted for six days. 63 people were killed, about 2,400 were injured, and economic losses amounted to approximately $1 billion. The National Guard and federal troops were deployed to suppress the riot.

In 2020, the killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis sparked a wave of protests across the country, including in Los Angeles. Peaceful demonstrations often escalated into violent clashes, arson, and looting. In Los Angeles, police used tear gas and rubber bullets, and the city imposed a curfew. It is estimated that millions of people participated in the protests across the country, and the death toll reached at least 19 people. These events highlighted systemic problems of racism and police violence, and showed how quickly localized protests can spread across the country.

Causes of modern unrest

The main reason for the current riots in Los Angeles, which broke out on June 6, was the massive and brutal raids by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as well as the Trump administration's general deportation policy. These unrests have the potential to escalate into a much larger conflict. After all, America is a country built by migrants, and the issue of immigration has always been central to its politics and identity.

"This sweeping effort has few analogues in recent world history. Its ambition goes beyond anything attempted in the U.S. since the Eisenhower-era Operation Wetback in its aims to expel millions of people and change the makeup of the country. Removing that many undocumented immigrants, as Trump has promised, would eliminate a key source of labor. It would end a decades-long wave of migration that has made the country progressively more multiethnic. And it would change how the U.S. has treated those seeking refuge from violence and oppression since before the end of the Cold War," writes Time magazine.

The raids are part of the Trump administration's grandiose campaign to deport undocumented migrants, including plans to remove 700,000 people from conflict zones, including 200,000 Ukrainians, Afghans, and Haitians.

However, the tough immigration policy that Trump has been actively promoting since returning to power has caused outrage among local communities, especially in Los Angeles, where a significant number of migrants live (over 82% of the city's population is from Latin America).

As a result, local residents and activists took to the streets to protest the arrests and deportations, which they said were unfair and violated human rights. Jose Barrera, vice president of the US Latino Citizens League, said that most of the protests were peaceful, but some violent acts provoked an escalation. He also accused the White House of seeking to “provoke civil unrest” for political purposes.

“The Administration is treating immigration not as a law-enforcement matter but is trying illegally to repurpose the tools of war and counterterrorism against migrants,” says Brian Finucane, a lawyer with the independent International Crisis Group and former State Department official. “It’s a vile abuse of power.”

Course of the protests

So the protests began on June 6 and continue to this day with less intensity. Demonstrators actively blocked highways, set cars on fire, and created barricades.

Clashes with federal law enforcement occurred in the Paramount district, during which police used tear gas, rubber bullets, and stun grenades. Downtown Los Angeles was declared an “unlawful assembly zone” and police called on protesters to disperse.

President Trump immediately deployed 2,000 National Guardsmen, followed by another 2,000 and 700 Marines to the city with the intention of protecting federal property and immigration agents. His administration immediately took a tough stance, calling the protests a “rebellion against the federal government.” However, sources told CNN that it is still unclear what the specific mission of the Marines in Los Angeles will be. Like National Guard troops, they are prohibited from carrying out law enforcement activities such as arrests unless Trump invokes the Insurrection Act, which allows the president to use the military to quell an uprising or rebellion against the federal government.

But most importantly, the deployment of federal troops was made without the consent of local authorities. As the BBC reports, this is the first time since 1965 that a president has sent National Guard forces into a U.S. city without a governor’s approval. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass stated that the city did not need the National Guard or Marines, and that the police were capable of handling the situation.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, called Trump’s actions unconstitutional, saying the president had “gone mad.” He also described the administration’s actions as “deliberately provocative” and argued that the deployment of the National Guard violates the state’s sovereignty. As a result, California has filed a lawsuit against Trump, requesting an emergency court order to block the administration from using the National Guard to enforce laws in the state.

After several days of unrest, at least 170 people have been arrested, including 60 during this weekend's protests. Among the injured were several people, including a British photographer and an Australian reporter, who were shot with rubber bullets on live television. Three police officers were also reported injured. The exact number of civilian casualties remains unknown, but the clashes resulted in the arson attack on the shopping center and significant property damage due to looting and vandalism.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass emphasized that those destroying the city do not represent the interests of immigrants but are pursuing their own agendas. She noted that the unrest is limited to just a few downtown blocks, though the visual impact creates the impression of widespread chaos. Bass promised a full investigation and the arrest of all involved in the violence.

Defense Secretary Hegseth stated that the troops would remain in the city for up to 60 days. However, President Trump declared that the National Guard would stay in the Los Angeles area “until the danger is gone.”

What experts say, what are the threats to the United States

The protests in Los Angeles have caused a wide resonance and discussion both in the United States and abroad. Although Trump says that without the intervention of the National Guard, Los Angeles would have “burned to the ground,” analysts believe that the deployment of federal troops could repeat the scenario of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, when dozens of people died. The Guardian explicitly states that this is a crisis that Trump himself created and now wants to pretend that he is solving it ostentatiously.

Lawyers and politicians consider these actions to be a “serious escalation” and warn that violations of constitutional norms could destroy the system of checks and balances that undermine the US constitutional balance. In addition, the protests have already spread to the large neighboring city of San Francisco, groups of people are protesting in New York and Atalanta and several other cities, and further violence could provoke new actions across the country. That is, there is a risk of a “domino effect” when local conflicts escalate into national ones, similar to the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.

“Trump’s actions are aimed at expanding his power to undermine the Constitution and destroy civil liberties,” explains Ilya Somin, a libertarian professor at the Antonin Scalia Law School.

Crises have become Donald Trump’s trademark. Since his first term, he has claimed that only he can “make America great again.” Now, back in power, Trump is turning that rhetoric into action: he presents ordinary situations as emergencies to justify expanded authority, according to The New York Times.

Law professor Frank Bowman explains that emergency powers were designed for swift action in genuine crises - assuming the president acts in good faith. But in his view, Trump uses these mechanisms to legitimize the use of force against his opponents.

The worst part, warns The Economist, is that what’s happening now in Los Angeles could become a blueprint for the Trump administration in the future. Trump’s actions, they argue, pave the way for consolidating power through the political radicalization of society - ultimately threatening federal unity and eroding trust in central government.

Democratic Congressman John Garamendi told CNN bluntly that the president is acting as if he has unlimited power and is “the king of the nation.” He said Trump’s immigration raids do nothing to help: “They only spread fear across the country,” Garamendi emphasized.

Perhaps that’s exactly what Trump wants - fear makes people easier to control and more likely to accept his “savior” policies. As the old political maxim goes: divide et impera - divide and rule.