“Every person who values our freedoms–regardless of who you voted for–must demand an end to these abductions and that all of our community members be returned home.”–Sulma Arias, People’s Action
WASHINGTON, D.C.–People’s Action released the following statement from Executive Director Sulma Arias tonight in response to the Trump administration’s crackdown in Los Angeles, during which the administration abducted people, arrested those who protested, and mobilized the National Guard against the people of L.A.
“The Trump MAGA regime has been abducting parents, students, and community members, imprisoning and disappearing people based on what we look like, where we come from, and how we express our beliefs.
“Let’s be clear: The violence is coming from the Trump regime. The administration caused the escalating tensions in Los Angeles by ratcheting up their assault on our neighbors. They arrested, tear-gassed, and injured local people and leaders. Now they plan to turn the military against the people of Los Angeles, which will only make things worse.
“They want us to play their game and react in ways that they can use to justify further escalations. We are committed to nonviolence, and we are also committed to standing up to this assault. The strongest defense is for everyday people–grandmothers and parents with kids and the whole community–to show up as part of the defense of our neighbors.
“Every person who values our freedoms–regardless of who you voted for–must demand an immediate end to these abductions and that all of our community members be returned home. Only by joining together can we confront this regime of bullies for the billionaires and protect our freedoms, our families, and our futures.
“The only solution to this crisis is for the administration to halt its plans to use the military against the American people and end its efforts to abduct our loved ones.
“When a government uses violence against its own citizens and residents, it means that fascism has arrived in this country. The question is, what do people of conscience do? We do what people throughout history have done–stop it with our moral force.”
Earlier this evening, the White House announced that Trump signed a memorandum deploying 2,000 National Guardsmen to Los Angeles. The use of the military in against the people of L.A. came as immigration officials urged officers to arrest more people without warrants, to get “creative” with arrests, and expanded abductions and raids in the Los Angeles area.
For more information on People’s Action, visit peoplesaction.org.