Michael Fox
Protesters
have taken to the streets of Los Angeles and San Francisco. They’re protesting
the detention and arrest of thousands of immigrants through Trump’s ICE raids.
This is episode 44 of Stories of Resistance.
Protesters shutdown the 101 Freeway as they clash with law
enforcement in downtown Los Angeles due to the immigration raids in L.A.
on Sunday, June 8, 2025, in Los Angeles, CA. Jason Armond/Los Angeles
Times via Getty Images.
Resistance….
Sometimes it’s quiet. Even
silent. Sometimes it’s sustained over long years…
And sometimes, it explodes like a
corked bottle, and continues for days, or weeks, or much, much longer…
Pushing back against injustice.
Pushing back in defense of people’s lives, and their families, their friends,
and their loved ones…
That is what we’re seeing right
now in Los Angeles and across California as Donald Trump’s ICE officers have
unleashed a crackdown on immigrant communities, and people have taken to the
streets to say, “No.”
Despite what you’ve likely heard,
most of the protests have been peaceful. Thousands have marched. They’ve
chanted. They’ve sang. People have waved the Mexican flag. A sign of
resistance. A sign in defense of those who are being ripped from their homes…
ICE has detained and arrested
more than 100,000 people since Trump’s inauguration in January. Trump claims to
be arresting criminals. In reality, he is detaining hard working family
members. In reality, he is destroying families.
Many people who have been
detained are in the country legally. Some are being arrested after appearing
for scheduled asylum hearings. Parents pulled from their children. Babies taken
from their mother’s arms.
In recent days, the Trump
administration has ramped up arrests to 2,000 people a day. ICE agents in armor
and military-style camo gear ambush city streets like military operatives in
foreign countries, or military police from supposedly bygone days of authoritarian
governments who pick people from off the street, throw them into the back of a
car, and disappear them…
But people are fighting back.
After ICE officers detained more
than 100 undocumented immigrants in raids across Los Angeles on Friday,
protesters took to the streets. They’ve stayed there for days. They’ve shut
down highways. They’ve shouted “No.”
Trump has responded, calling in
the national guard. 2,000 troops. It’s the first time a president has
unilaterally called in the national guard, despite objections from local state
officials, in 60 years.
California Governor Gavin Newsom
says he’s suing Trump for illegally deploying federal troops and “flaming the
fires.”
“You’re creating the conditions
that you say you’re solving and you’re putting real people’s lives at risk.”
Police have arrested dozens in
protests in Los Angeles and San Francisco. They’ve hit unarmed protesters in
the head with rubber bullets. They’ve shot at journalists at point blank range.
And still people have promised to resist. More protests are planned for today…
And there is clearly more on the
horizon for Los Angeles and elsewhere, in defense of families, in defense of
loved ones. In defense of immigrants across the United States.
###
Hi folks, thanks for listening.
I’m your host Michael Fox.
I don’t always get to do
reporting for this series on issues that are happening right now. But this is
one of those moments. And it is really important.
This is Stories of Resistance, a
podcast series co-produced by The Real News and Global Exchange. Each week, I
bring you stories of resistance and hope like this. Inspiration for dark times.
If you like what you hear, please subscribe, like, share, comment or leave a
review.
If you like what you hear, you
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As always, you can follow my
reporting and support my work and this podcast at patreon.com/mfox.
Thanks for listening. See you next time.
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