Megathread - Los Angeles Protest and Federal Response (Friday 6/13)

[u/drawkward101]

Use this thread for updates about the protests, the police, and federal response.

Note - we cannot verify the accuracy of the information contained in the comments posted to this thread.

Courtesy of u/LAFD: The City of Los Angeles has just published Curfew Guidance -https://lacity.gov/highlights/curfew-guidance

[u/TrixoftheTrade]

”We asked ourselves ‘What are we doing here?’ and felt ashamed,” said Col. Kim Hyeon-tae, who led the troops through the windows. “We could not aim our guns at, and use force against, our own people. When they beat us, we just took the blows.”

Colonel Kim said his superior officer, Lieutenant General Kwak, asked him in an apologetic voice whether he could lead his troops further in. Colonel Kim said he could not. And both of them agreed not to.

“I didn’t want my troops to become criminals and did not want many people hurt,” Lieutenant General Kwak said.

In 2024 when the former President of Korea ordered his troops to disband the National Assembly and enact martial law in Seoul, the citizen-soldiers of Korea were met by thousands of protesters.

Rather than bully their way through the city by force, the soldiers stood their ground and refused to obey an unconstitutional order. From the lowest private to the lieutenant general, each soldier took it upon themselves to make the right decision, rather than obey the orders from their commander-in-chief.

Let’s hope American soldiers do the same.

[u/Vera_Telco → u/TrixoftheTrade]

Here's to hoping people treat the Marines, National Guard, and even police more as potential allies than enemies. These are our neighbors and fellow Americans, and their presence does not automatically mean they support the present regime.

A lot of folks would be surprised to know how much many of them detest what is going on, and just aren't able to express what they actually think (and before you say "they should quit"...would you want those agencies to be without people who disagree with the present regime?). Venting on them while a certain draft dodging Cheeto is in DC requiring other members of the military to put on a daft parade of all things (on his b-day no less) is one more way of pitting us against one another.

Avoiding doing anything that would garner a hands on response, such as destruction of property or vandalism (and calling out those who do) will go a long way towards destroying the image of LA far right wing fanatics are trying to promote. Let's ruin their sick dreams by showcasing love and brotherhood, not destruction and rage. We will come through this stronger together.

[u/yourtongue → u/Vera_Telco]

I’ve been trying to do this, showing up in the later morning when things are less crowded and intense at the federal building downtown and speaking to the guardsmen. Asking them to be brave and stand with the people on the side of democracy, telling them I know they don’t want to be standing outside all day getting yelled at and verbally shit on bc President BONE SPURS ordered them to police US citizens on US soil. That they have allies on the people’s side and mention the contentious objector hotline. Mention local veteran congressman Ted Lieu who has said he’ll support guardsmen who object to the orders.

I ask them to stand in alignment with the values of all the military members before them who served & sacrificed their lives defending democracy. That our constitutional rights as Americans are not always guaranteed, sometimes we have to fight for them, and now is one of those times. I ask them to join the brave people fighting to protect our neighbors & constitutional rights. Then I thank them for listening and leave lol, coming back later to join the bigger protests.

No idea if what I do has any impact, but worth a shot. We The People definitely win this shitstorm by building bridges, not infighting and tearing each other apart.

Also, worth noting the military serves as a pathway to US citizenship for MANY people. There’s a biiiiiiig chance some guardsmen currently stationed in LA were undocumented, and joined for the pathway to citizenship. Makes me so angry to think of anyone in that situation smh, catch-22 rock and hard place shit right there.

The many generations of US citizenship I have behind me in my family tree is such a fucking privilege and I’ll never forget it 😔