{"id":73471,"date":"2025-06-12T14:43:10","date_gmt":"2025-06-12T21:43:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=73471"},"modified":"2025-06-12T14:43:10","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T21:43:10","slug":"civil-rights-leaders-condemn-militarized-crackdown-on-la-protests-this-is-not-the-america-we-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=73471","title":{"rendered":"Civil Rights Leaders Condemn Militarized Crackdown on LA Protests: \u2018This Is Not the America We Know\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_author tdi_65 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_1 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_65\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span><a class=\"tdb-author-name\" href=\"https:\/\/americancommunitymedia.org\/author\/sunita\/\">Sunita Sohrabji<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_date tdi_66 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_1 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_66\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><i class=\"tdb-date-icon tdc-font-fa tdc-font-fa-calendar\"><\/i><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2025-06-12T10:19:45-07:00\">Jun 12, 2025<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_subtitle tdi_67 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_1\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_67\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>\u201cWe will not be silenced. Democracy demands dissent.\u201d &#8211; Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_featured_image tdi_68 tdb-content-horiz-left td-pb-border-top td_block_template_1\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_68\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"entry-thumb td-animation-stack-type0-2\" title=\"San francisco protest\" src=\"https:\/\/americancommunitymedia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IMG_0401.jpeg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/americancommunitymedia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IMG_0401.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/americancommunitymedia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IMG_0401-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/americancommunitymedia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IMG_0401-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/americancommunitymedia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IMG_0401-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/americancommunitymedia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IMG_0401-150x100.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/americancommunitymedia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IMG_0401-696x464.jpeg 696w, https:\/\/americancommunitymedia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IMG_0401-1068x712.jpeg 1068w\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" \/><figcaption class=\"tdb-caption-text\">A protestor in San Francisco June 9. (Manuel Ortiz photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_69 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_1 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_69\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>In a powerful show of solidarity, leading Black and Latino civil rights organizations held a joint press conference June 11 to denounce what they called \u201cauthoritarian overreach\u201d by the Trump administration.<\/p>\n<p>Their remarks, delivered during a virtual press conference, expressed outrage over the deployment of National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles in response to largely peaceful protests opposing immigration enforcement actions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is not just about immigration: it\u2019s about the erosion of everyone\u2019s civil liberties,\u201d said Janet Murgu\u00eda, president and CEO of UnidosUS, which organized the press briefing. \u201cThe Trump administration\u2019s actions in Los Angeles represent an alarming abuse of power designed to crush dissent and intimidate entire communities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Murgu\u00eda, along with leaders from the National Urban League, Hispanic Federation, National Action Network, and Mi Familia Vota, condemned the administration\u2019s decision to deploy more than 2,700 troops, despite opposition from the city\u2019s mayor and the governor of California. \u201cThis is not about law and order,\u201d Murgu\u00eda emphasized. \u201cIt\u2019s dangerous and unconstitutional escalation.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-political-stunt\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Political Stunt<\/h2>\n<p>Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, described the administration\u2019s actions as \u201ca political stunt\u201d and \u201ca direct assault on democratic norms.\u201d Citing the stark contrast between the military presence in Los Angeles and the delayed response during the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, Morial said: \u201cThe hypocrisy is staggering. Peaceful protesters are being met with military force, while actual threats to democracy were met with hesitation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Morial argued that the use of military force raises serious concerns about racial profiling and sets a dangerous precedent. \u201cThis administration is using its power to settle political scores, to silence dissent, and to distract the public from a broader agenda that threatens civil rights and vital social programs,\u201d he said, referring to the \u201cbig, beautiful\u201d spending bill currently being considered by the Senate, which would strip funding for safety net programs, including Medicaid.<\/p>\n<p>Frankie Miranda, president and CEO of the Hispanic Federation, joined the call from downtown Los Angeles, where his organization is providing support to affected communities. \u201cPeople are being detained at schools, workplaces, and even hospitals,\u201d Miranda said. \u201cThey are being disappeared by the government, not by criminals. This is not normal, and we must not accept it as such.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-double-standard\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u2019Double Standard\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Reverend Al Sharpton of the National Action Network emphasized that this is a human rights crisis, not just a Latino issue. \u201cDon\u2019t let them divide us. You cannot claim to defend democracy while deploying Marines against peaceful immigrants and families,\u201d Sharpton said. \u201cWe didn\u2019t see troops deployed like this during wildfires or floods, but now they arrive quickly to silence protests? That speaks volumes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sharpton also highlighted the double standard in immigration policy. \u201cYou welcomed 59 white South Africans citing \u2018white genocide\u2019 with no questions asked, yet families from Central America are torn apart and criminalized,\u201d he said. \u201cThis isn\u2019t about national security: it\u2019s about racism and repression.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>H\u00e9ctor S\u00e1nchez Barba, president and CEO of Mi Familia Vota, painted a dire picture of fear and chaos spreading through immigrant communities. \u201cChildren are afraid to go to school. Workers are staying home. People are vanishing into unmarked vans. This is not safety\u2014it\u2019s terror,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-families-ripped-apart\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Families Ripped Apart<\/h2>\n<p>Mi Familia Vota, which operates in 10 states, has witnessed firsthand the damage inflicted by immigration raids and militarized enforcement. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen ICE show up at courthouses and workplaces. We\u2019ve seen families ripped apart. What\u2019s happening in Los Angeles is part of a coordinated campaign of intimidation,\u201d S\u00e1nchez Barba said.<\/p>\n<p>He linked the administration\u2019s actions to broader political motivations, calling them part of a \u201cMAGA extremist agenda\u201d aimed at criminalizing immigrants and dismantling democratic institutions. \u201cBlaming immigrants is at the core of their campaign strategy, but we will not allow them to destroy our communities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>All speakers urged peaceful protest, legislative oversight, and civic engagement in response to what they called an escalating human rights crisis. They emphasized that the fight is not only about immigration, but about protecting the foundational principles of the nation.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-police-state\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Police State<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cWe know what authoritarianism looks like. Many of us come from countries where military force was used to crush dissent,\u201d Murgu\u00eda said. \u201cWe will not allow that to happen here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The leaders concluded the press conference with a call to action. \u201cMarch peacefully. Speak out. Call your representatives. Vote. This is not just a Latino issue\u2014it\u2019s an American one,\u201d said Murgu\u00eda.<\/p>\n<p>As the protests in Los Angeles continue and tensions remain high, civil rights groups vowed to stand firm in defense of the Constitution, due process, and the communities they serve.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe will not be silenced,\u201d Morial declared. \u201cDemocracy demands dissent.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>BySunita Sohrabji Jun 12, 2025 \u201cWe&#46;&#46;&#46;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,9,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-73471","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ca-local","category-opinion","category-u-s-a"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73471","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=73471"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73471\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":73472,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73471\/revisions\/73472"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=73471"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=73471"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=73471"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}