Telling You Today: June 12, 2025
On Friday I saw posts of the skirmish in Paramount. It was dizzying to suddenly see street fighting at a suburban Home Depot, but my clearest thought was: at least people are fighting back. We didn't join in until Sunday, but while grocery shopping Clare and I decided it felt important enough to show up. So we took the train down, marching through the civic center and then standing among a crowd of a few thousand surrounding the sunken downtown section of the 101. Traffic was blocked in one direction, then briefly two. When cars were allowed to pass northbound, I was struck by how many cars responded with a honk or a raised fist in support. The approval was nearly unanimous. CHP was subjected to a torrent of small, mostly harmless objects as they kettled those occupying the highway and expelled them from the roadway. They fired dozens of flashbang grenades into the air, and I noted to pack earplugs for the next time. The detonations seemed ineffective on this crowd - I wonder if a city completely desensitized to year-round fireworks is immune to being intimidated by loud bangs. We left after a while, passing by the famous Waymos which were still merely damaged–not yet alight. The next day I got to see their remnants scraped off the ground with shovels.
I've been to a few other rallies and marches, and worked downtown a few times this week. There's tense energy, a lot of spraypaint on the walls. Is Los Angeles in chaos? A war zone? Certainly not. Any damage and disorder is contained to a few square blocks, and doesn't amount to any more than the aftermath of a Dodger's championship win. The police are doing what they usually do, responding with disproportionate, militarized force. They're raking in overtime. Maybe if they formed lines instead to defend people from being snatched by ICE, they'd win some fans.
Let's not forget: masked thugs are kidnapping neighbors and people are responding as they should. They started this, and I do not think they should be allowed to continue.
For many communities, there's palpable fear. There's also anger and resolve, and this feels widespread. ICE seems universally reviled, and rightly so - they're pathetic losers, brutes splitting up families, disappearing members of our community. They serve absolutely no purpose and are actively harming people. But L.A. does not seem willing to acquiesce to these wicked cretins, and I hope it stays that way. I'd rather see a thousand Waymos burn than one more person be stolen from our city.
If you'd like to contribute something, I suggest giving to CHIRLA. LA Taco has a list of other good orgs to support.
- RIOS: "These pieces were designed to move, adapt, welcome, connect - and now protect."
- Rebecca Solnit: Some Notes on the City of Angels and the Nature of Violence
- Jacobin: Trump’s Immigration Crackdown Is a Crackdown on Unions
- LA TACO: Trump Can’t Win The Battle for Los Angeles
(There’s still time for pleasure & community when you live both There and Here)