President Donald Trump this week authorized sending another 2,000 National Guard troops along with 700 Marines to Los Angeles to quell protests over his immigration policies.
The move from Trump comes as there are protests planned nationwide this weekend, including in Georgia, as part of the “No Kings Day” movement.
The protests are in response to Trump’s plans for a massive parade to honor the Army’s 250th anniversary in Washington on Saturday. The parade also coincides with the president’s 79th birthday.
Jacob Thomas, spokesman for the liberal veterans’ group Common Defense, said on Thursday’s “Politically Georgia” podcast that organizers of the protest are watching what is happening in Los Angeles.
“As someone who’s been organizing for over a decade, (I) strongly believe in nonviolent resistance as our pathway forward in these times of dissent,” said Thomas. “At the forefront of so many of our minds is ensuring that it’s safe.”
Thomas said part of those safety measures include not having protests in Washington, D.C.
“None of (the 2,000 protests) that we have been organizing are in D.C. proper. That was one of the strategic decisions that had been made to ensure that there wasn’t escalations,” he said.
Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
This week, police arrested six people at a Buford Highway immigration protest. Attorney General Chris Carr issued a stern warning to protesters, saying that his office “will not hesitate to bring domestic terrorism charges for those who earn it.”
The penalty for that charge is up to 35 years in prison.
“These are all separate events,” said Thomas of the protests in Los Angeles and along Buford Highway, adding that he believes they are “organic resistance to extremist policies” by the Trump administration.
“We don’t have kings in this country, and 250 years ago, coincidentally, for the army’s birthday, we stood up to tyrants” said Thomas, a Navy veteran. “And we’ll stand up to tyrants now.”
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