3 w. ago Trump’s insurrection routine: fuel violence, spawn chaos, shrug off the law | Sidney Blumenthal

Four years after the January 6 attack, the president is toying with invoking the Insurrection Act to respond to a conflict he provokedDonald Trump’s stages of insurrection have passed from trying to suppress one that didn’t exist, to creating one himself, to generating a local incident he falsely depicts as a national emergency. In every case, whether he inflates himself into the strongman putting down an insurrection or acts as the instigator-in-chief, his routine has been to foster violence, spawn chaos and show contempt for the law.In his first term, Trump reportedly asked the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, General Mark Milley, “Can’t you just shoot them, just shoot them in the legs or something?” Trump was agitated about protesters in Lafayette Park, across from the White House, after the murder of George Floyd in 2020. On 1 June, Trump ordered the US Park police to clear the park. Some charged on horses into the crowd. Trump emerged after the teargas wafted away to walk...

Events

3 w. ago Pam Bondi dodges questions about what legal threshold is for Trump to invoke Insurrection Act

Attorney General told reporters administration was ‘not scared to go further’ amid protests at ICE raids

Politics

3 w. ago LA protest live: Trump threatens to invoke Insurrection Act after deploying National Guard and Marines

Almost 5,000 military personnel have been deployed to Los Angeles, as demonstrations against ICE raids continued into Monday evening

Events

3 w. ago Trump threatens to invoke Insurrection Act to stop LA rioters weaponizing concrete to throw at troops

President Donald Trump refused to rule out invoking the Insurrection Act in Los Angeles as he tore into 'bad people' and 'animals' he said brought the city to the verge of burning down.

Events

3 w. ago I really hate to say it, but I agree with JD Vance. Britain has a free speech problem

Despite the ongoing crackdown on protesters in Los Angeles, the US constitution (for now) provides far more freedom of speech than there is in the UKHello from the US where, if you’re a fan of things such as civil liberties and not getting shot in the leg by masked thugs sporting law enforcement badges, the situation is somewhat suboptimal. Over in Los Angeles, national guard troops have been brought in to rough up protesters who are demonstrating against immigration raids. There were at least 27 attacks on journalists by law enforcement recorded at the protests between 6 and 8 June, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF).One of the most alarming things about the crackdown against protesters in LA is the memo greenlighting it. It acts pre-emptively, a first in the US, authorising the military to be deployed in locations where protests are “likely to occur”. Scarier still, Donald Trump has said he won’t rule out invoking the Insurrection Act: an 1807 law that empowers the presi...

Politics

3 w. ago I really hate to say it, but I agree with JD Vance. Britain has a free speech problem | Arwa Mahdawi

Despite the ongoing crackdown on protesters in Los Angeles, the US constitution (for now) provides far more freedom of speech than there is in the UKHello from the US where, if you’re a fan of things such as civil liberties and not getting shot in the leg by masked thugs sporting law enforcement badges, the situation is somewhat suboptimal. Over in Los Angeles, national guard troops have been brought in to rough up protesters who are demonstrating against immigration raids. There were at least 27 attacks on journalists by law enforcement recorded at the protests between 6 and 8 June, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF).One of the most alarming things about the crackdown against protesters in LA is the memo greenlighting it. It acts pre-emptively, a first in the US, authorising the military to be deployed in locations where protests are “likely to occur”. Scarier still, Donald Trump has said he won’t rule out invoking the Insurrection Act: an 1807 law that empowers the presi...

Politics

3 w. ago Pentagon to reportedly deploy hundreds of US marines to Los Angeles

Reports say battalion to be sent to LA ‘temporarily’ but Trump reportedly not set to invoke Insurrection ActHundreds of active-duty US marines are to be deployed in Los Angeles, it was reported on Monday, making good on Donald Trump’s threat to send more troops to the city to quash protests against government immigration raids and deportations.A US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told news agency Reuters that a battalion of 700 marines, reportedly from the Twentynine Palms base in southern California, would be sent to Los Angeles “temporarily”. This was despite a relatively quiet day of protests in the city. Continue reading...

Politics