I have been following LA’s resistance to Trump’s attempted Fascist takeover since the National Guard was sent in a few months ago. With focus shifting to Washington and Chicago, the people of LA have won some breathing room. Here is a resident (@ajaxsinger.bsky.social) attempting to document the cities’ resistance. Thread here: https://bsky.app/profile/ajaxsinger.bsky.social/post/3ly7o2fjkgc2t
Alright, so I’ve been afraid to say this out loud, but I think after today, I can say it: In the first Battle of Los Angeles, the good people of LA County have prevailed. We beat ICE back. 1/
It started a couple weeks ago. The ICE-watch notices slowed down from a river to stream, then to a trickle. The parks and playgrounds in the neighborhoods that had been empty showed signs of life, the age of the average street vendors started to rise and now, today, officially… 2/
Los Angeles is back in action. The neighborhood parks were thronged today, abuelitas and little children, full families and stragglers in the sun. The playgrounds were *hopping* and I saw venderos I hadn’t seen in ages… 3/
…mamas and papas who’d been sending their kids to sell frutas and bacon-wrapped hot dogs because they were citizens were out in person, smiling and selling. The sidewalk flea markets were full. Today was happy. 4/
Why? Well, for starters, 300 ICE agents have been moved to Chicago, leaving only about 300 in LA County which is about what we had before Trump took office. Why are they leaving? Because LA made their jobs TOO FUCKING HARD. LA Organized. LA sat on corners outside Home Depots with radios. 5/
LA got on Signal and ICE-watch. LA’s biggest non-profit advocacy groups like the LA Tenants Union widened their missions to incorporate saving the whole fucking city. LA showed up. LA filmed. LA *knew its rights* and handed out red-cards at every opportunity. 6/
LA kept a small, peaceful, totally fucking irritating presence at the Federal buildings and LA showed up at the hotels where ICE was staying and made sure they didn’t get any sleep. LA Unions got involved. LA limousine liberals got out of their fucking limousines and stood watch on corners. 7/
We didn’t stop them, but we slowed them down. They got hundreds of us, but we kept them from getting hundreds more, and it wasn’t violence or graffiti or insults that did the job, it was regular people getting involved. It was my neighbor the speech therapist, it was my friend the life-coach. 8/
So, Chicago, it’s your turn now and man, I am so so sorry. Nobody should have to go through this. This is awful. This is fascism. Organize. Step up. Don’t think other people will do it — the might, maybe even they will, but they need you, too. Be like LA — be sand in their gears. 9/
And yeah, they’ll be back. It’s going to get a lot worse. It’s going to suck ass for a long time in America, but they aren’t invulnerable, they’re just empowered bullies and like all bullies, they can’t handled working harder than they’re supposed to and they can’t stand being thwarted. 10/
So, Chicago, thwart. Thwart like lives depend on it because they do. This was long and nobody’ll read the whole thing, but man it felt good to write because, for the time being, LA fucking won. 11/end