Federal Agents Stage Militarized Terror Parade in Los Angeles Park

Read our editorial on mass deportations here, and the ongoing struggle against it here.

On Monday, July 7, 100 unidentifiable federal agents arrived in Los Angeles’ MacArthur Park with guns, horses, armored vehicles, and in tactical military gear, while Black Hawk helicopters circled overhead, staging what seemed to be an immigration enforcement action. The public could not be certain whether the agents were affiliated with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Border Patrol, or other federal agencies, and no explanation was given for the agents’ heavily militarized presence. LAPD also responded to the scene, escorting the federal agents as they caravaned through the area, as they did during the LA protests last month. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also made an appearance, though her statements did little to clarify the situation.

Some onlookers and local news sources speculated that it was a raid that was initially scheduled and now canceled, while others said the federal agents’ presence was merely a show of intimidation. The increasingly grotesque theater of terror aligns with the White House’s promotion of “self-deportation”, allowing the state to minimize rebellious responses from the masses while saving the state resources and legal battles as it heaves the burden of the economic crisis onto immigrants.

At one point during the terror parade, more than 30 National Guard vehicles and other militarized vessels packed with federal agents marched through the neighborhood surrounding MacArthur Park. In this video, a patrol vehicle nearly hits a person seemingly on purpose, swerving towards a person to intimidate them off of the street.

The park was unusually empty due to social media posts warning Los Angeles about the potential operation. Community members mobilized rapidly, bravely surrounding and confronting the vehicles in the streets and rallying at the park. Activists utilized megaphones to alert bystanders about the operation. Rumors had been floating around prior to the operation and rapid response networks deployed volunteers to monitor the area beginning at 6 a.m. Monday.

The area is often called the “Ellis Island of the West Coast”, a largely immigrant neighborhood and community hub. MacArthur Park is an important feature of LA, but struggles with gang activity, open drug-use and sale, and homelessness. The park also has an amphitheater that hosts speakers and concerts during the summer, and sports fields where members of the community play in the evenings and on weekends. The east side of the park hosts food vendors and small merchandise stands. Many of its visitors are working-class, immigrant community members of the Westlake area of LA. The federal government is trying to portray the area negatively to justify militarized crackdowns on “lawlessness”.

MacArthur Park is the result of decades of disinvestment, driving down wages, and rising costs of living, trends inherent to imperialism. The Trump administration chose theater and warfare to terrorize a community imperialism pushed to the brink. Black Hawks circling over a park where children attend summer camp has nothing to do with public safety and all to do with scapegoating immigrants for crises created by imperialism. The supposed show of force is in reality a sign of weakness, that the state must resort to naked terror in order to rule, demonstrating that it lacks popular support and that its actions are diametrically opposed to the interests of the people.

Photo: Image Credit: X/@MayorOfLA

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