{"id":3614,"date":"2025-06-11T19:46:14","date_gmt":"2025-06-11T19:46:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=3614"},"modified":"2025-06-11T19:46:14","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T19:46:14","slug":"ilhan-omar-wants-to-hold-police-accountable-for-protest-abuses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=3614","title":{"rendered":"Ilhan Omar Wants to Hold Police Accountable for Protest Abuses"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span class=\"has-underline\">Seventy-five House Democrats<\/span> voted on Monday in support of a resolution that praised President Donald Trump\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/jonathancohn.medium.com\/a-tale-of-two-resolutions-75-dems-join-gop-in-resolution-praising-trumps-mass-deportation-regime-15cf590770ea\">deportation regime<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The vote came as Trump deployed more than 1,700 National Guard members and 700 Marines to Los Angeles to crush protests against increased U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement <a href=\"https:\/\/theintercept.com\/2025\/04\/04\/tom-homan-ice-immigrant-raid-new-york\/\">raids<\/a> and mass <a href=\"https:\/\/theintercept.com\/2025\/05\/21\/ice-agents-courts-arrests-immigrants-deport\">arrests<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Sponsored by Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colo., a <a href=\"https:\/\/gabeevans.house.gov\/media\/in-the-news\/jewish-insider-newly-elected-rep-gabe-evans-brings-middle-east-military\">pro-Israel<\/a> Republican, the bulk of the resolution was dedicated to condemning the<a href=\"https:\/\/theintercept.com\/2025\/06\/04\/adl-boulder-colorado-attack-mit-gaza-antisemitism\/\"> attack last month in Boulder<\/a>, Colorado, against pro-Israel demonstrators calling for the release of hostages in Israel.<\/p>\n<p>Tucked into the text was a line praising ICE, expressing \u201cgratitude to law enforcement officers, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel, for protecting the homeland.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While some Democrats are busy joining Republican colleagues to praise ICE, Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., is seeking to pass a law that holds police accountable for violence against protesters. Her bill, introduced in late May, would apply penalties to law enforcement for using force in response to a demonstration.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow, more than ever, it\u2019s important that we\u2019re doing everything we can to protect Americans\u2019 right to free speech and peaceful protest,\u201d Omar said. \u201cThat\u2019s why I introduced legislation to make law enforcement violence against protesters a federal crime.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- BLOCK(cta)[0](%7B%22componentName%22%3A%22CTA%22%2C%22entityType%22%3A%22SHORTCODE%22%2C%22optional%22%3Atrue%7D)(%7B%7D) --><\/p>\n<p><!-- END-BLOCK(cta)[0] --><\/p>\n<p>The military response to the protests is not just about immigration, said Omar, but represents another step in Trump\u2019s efforts to <a href=\"https:\/\/theintercept.com\/collections\/chilling-dissent\/\">crush dissent<\/a>. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn my district and across the country, we\u2019re seeing the Trump Administration use militarized force to silence, intimidate, and brutalize, not just protestors for exercising their First Amendment right, but also members of the press,\u201d Omar said in a statement to The Intercept. \u201cThis appears to be part of a broader more sinister and deeply un-American agenda to surveil and criminalize individuals for their political views.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While the bill praising ICE got 75 votes from Democrats and 205 Republicans, with seven co-sponsors, Omar\u2019s bill has only garnered three co-sponsors. Another resolution Omar introduced late last month that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/119th-congress\/house-resolution\/451\">condemns police brutality<\/a>, especially in response to protests, has no cosponsors.<\/p>\n<p>Of the handful of bills related to protests introduced in Congress this session, the vast majority are aimed at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/119th-congress\/house-bill\/2065\/text\">increasing penalties<\/a> for protesters; restricting people convicted of federal or state crimes in relation to protests from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/119th-congress\/senate-bill\/937\/text\">receiving federal student aid<\/a>; and designating some forms of protest as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/119th-congress\/house-resolution\/26\">domestic terrorism<\/a>. Few bills, on the other hand, seek to introduce new protections. There are currently only two Democratic bills this session related to protecting protesters \u2014 both have been introduced by Omar.<\/p>\n<p><!-- BLOCK(promote-post)[1](%7B%22componentName%22%3A%22PROMOTE_POST%22%2C%22entityType%22%3A%22SHORTCODE%22%2C%22optional%22%3Atrue%7D)(%7B%22slug%22%3A%22chilling-dissent%22%2C%22crop%22%3A%22promo%22%7D) -->  <\/p>\n<aside class=\"promote-banner\">\n    <a class=\"promote-banner__link\" href=\"https:\/\/theintercept.com\/collections\/chilling-dissent\/\"><br \/>\n              <span class=\"promote-banner__image\"><br \/>\n                  <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"promote-banner__text\">\n<p class=\"promote-banner__eyebrow\">\n            Read our complete coverage          <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>    <\/a><br \/>\n  <\/aside>\n<p><!-- END-BLOCK(promote-post)[1] --><\/p>\n<p>Even when bills seek to shore up protesters\u2019 rights, some are aimed at defending Trump supporters, not protesters in general. One from a far-right member of Congress seeks to bar detention for nonviolent political protesters in the name of a man who participated in the January 6 attacks on the Capitol and, following his conviction, died by suicide in custody.<\/p>\n<p>Omar is one of several progressive members of Congress who denounced Trump\u2019s use of state force to quash dissent and affirmed the rights of protesters. On Monday, Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, called Trump\u2019s actions a distraction and described them as illegal and authoritarian.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump\u2019s threats have nothing to do with keeping people safe \u2014 it\u2019s about political theater. He\u2019s scapegoating immigrants to distract from the GOP\u2019s real agenda: ripping health care away from millions to pay for tax cuts for the ultra-rich,\u201d Casar said in a statement. \u201cWe stand with Angelenos, and we stand with immigrant families everywhere. The President must return command of the National Guard to Governor Newsom.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., said the arrival of the military in Los Angeles was \u201cevidence of our country\u2019s descent into fascism.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s an abuse of power and a dangerous escalation that will only destabilize our communities,\u201d Tlaib <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RepRashida\/status\/1932104472509259803\">wrote<\/a>. \u201cI stand with those defending our immigrant neighbors and our fundamental rights.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- BLOCK(newsletter)[2](%7B%22componentName%22%3A%22NEWSLETTER%22%2C%22entityType%22%3A%22SHORTCODE%22%2C%22optional%22%3Atrue%7D)(%7B%7D) --><\/p>\n<div class=\"newsletter-embed flex-col items-center print:hidden\" id=\"third-party--article-mid\" data-module=\"InlineNewsletter\" data-module-source=\"web_intercept_20241230_Inline_Signup_Replacement\">\n<div class=\"-mx-5 sm:-mx-10 p-5 sm:px-10 xl:-ml-5 lg:mr-0 xl:px-5 bg-accentLight hidden\" data-name=\"subscribed\">\n<h2 class=\"font-sans font-light uppercase text-[30px] leading-8 text-white tracking-[0.01em] mb-0\">\n      We\u2019re independent of corporate interests \u2014 and powered by members. Join us.    <\/h2>\n<p>    <a href=\"https:\/\/join.theintercept.com\/donate\/now\/?referrer_post_id=493841&amp;referrer_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheintercept.com%2F2025%2F06%2F11%2Fprotests-ilhan-omar-police-accountability%2F&amp;source=web_intercept_20241230_Inline_Signup_Replacement\" class=\"border border-white !text-white font-mono uppercase p-5 inline-flex items-center gap-3 hover:bg-white hover:!text-accentLight focus:bg-white focus:!text-accentLight\" data-name=\"donateCTA\" data-action=\"handleDonate\"><br \/>\n      Become a member      <span class=\"font-icons icon-TI_Arrow_02_Right\"\/><br \/>\n    <\/a>\n  <\/div>\n<div class=\"group default w-full px-5 hidden\" data-name=\"unsubscribed\">\n<div class=\"px-5 border-[10px] border-accentLight\">\n<div class=\"bg-white -my-2.5 relative block px-4 md:px-5\">\n<h2 class=\"font-sans font-body text-[30px] font-bold tracking-[0.01em] leading-8 mb-0 xl:text-[37px] xl:leading-[39px]\">\n          <span class=\"group-[.subscribed]:hidden\"><br \/>\n            Join Our Newsletter          <\/span><br \/>\n          <span class=\"group-[.default]:hidden\"><br \/>\n            Thank You For Joining!          <\/span><br \/>\n        <\/h2>\n<p class=\"text-[27px] mb-3.5 font-bold text-accentLight tracking-[0.01em] leading-[29px] font-sans xl:text-[37px] xl:leading-[39px]\">\n          <span class=\"group-[.subscribed]:hidden\"><br \/>\n            Original reporting. Fearless journalism. Delivered to you.          <\/span><br \/>\n          <span class=\"group-[.default]:hidden\"><br \/>\n            Will you take the next step to support our independent journalism by becoming a member of The Intercept?          <\/span>\n        <\/p>\n<p>        <a href=\"https:\/\/join.theintercept.com\/donate\/now\/?referrer_post_id=493841&amp;referrer_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheintercept.com%2F2025%2F06%2F11%2Fprotests-ilhan-omar-police-accountability%2F&amp;source=web_intercept_20241230_Inline_Signup_Replacement\" class=\"group-[.default]:hidden border border-accentLight text-accentLight font-sans px-5 py-3.5 inline-flex items-center gap-3 text-[20px] font-bold\" data-action=\"handleDonate\"><br \/>\n          Become a member          <span class=\"font-icons icon-TI_Arrow_02_Right\"\/><br \/>\n        <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"font-sans text-accentLight text-[10px] leading-[13px] text-balance [&amp;_a]:text-accentLight [&amp;_a]:font-bold [&amp;_a:hover]:underline group-[.subscribed]:hidden\">\n<p>By signing up, I agree to receive emails from The Intercept and to the <a href=\"https:\/\/theintercept.com\/privacy-policy\/\">Privacy Policy<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/theintercept.com\/terms-use\/\">Terms of Use<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END-BLOCK(newsletter)[2] --><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-denouncing-whose-violence\"><strong>Denouncing Whose Violence?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., called on protesters to remain nonviolent.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDr. King defeated racist government officials &amp; ended segregation through disciplined non-violent resistance,\u201d Sanders <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BernieSanders\/status\/1932148252800905415\">tweeted<\/a>. \u201cDefeating Trumpism, oligarchy &amp; authoritarianism requires that same level of discipline. Violent protests are counterproductive and play right into Trump\u2019s playbook.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Comments like Sanders\u2019s that blame protesters for violence justify Trump\u2019s response, said California attorney Thomas Harvey, who has worked with student protesters demonstrating against Israel\u2019s war on Gaza.<\/p>\n<p>Trump has \u201cfalsely characterized resistance to these ICE abductions as insurrection and rebellion to justify federalizing the National Guard in CA and authorized Secretary of Defense Pete Hesgeth to use the military on U.S. soil anywhere he decides,\u201d Harvey said. \u201cTo make matters worse, the armchair quarterbacks in the Democratic Party and punditry, most of whom have never organized a protest or dealt with the kind of state violence we\u2019re seeing today, dare to admonish protesters for engaging in what they call violence.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sanders\u2019s comments were \u201cincorrect and completely ahistorical,\u201d Harvey added.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cKing himself changed his views on violence, especially riots, as the Civil Rights Movement went on and the U.S. government resisted meaningful change. But any serious person knows that civil rights protesters fought the police in the streets in the 1960s, just as anti-ICE kidnapping protesters are willing to do today,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>People protesting in Los Angeles responded to an already violent situation, said Ricci Sergienko, an attorney and organizer in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n<p><!-- BLOCK(pullquote)[3](%7B%22componentName%22%3A%22PULLQUOTE%22%2C%22entityType%22%3A%22SHORTCODE%22%2C%22optional%22%3Atrue%7D)(%7B%22pull%22%3A%22left%22%7D) --><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"stylized pull-left\" data-shortcode-type=\"pullquote\" data-pull=\"left\"><p><!-- CONTENT(pullquote)[3] -->\u201cIs our current situation \u2018peace\u2019? Why would anyone be shocked at this response by the people?\u201d<!-- END-CONTENT(pullquote)[3] --><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><!-- END-BLOCK(pullquote)[3] --><\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur current situation is a complete provocation by the state \u2014 tearing families apart and throwing people into concentration camps is violence,\u201d Sergienko said. \u201cThey are kidnapping people and locking them in the LA federal detention center basement without food or water. This, on top of the violence already faced against every day Angelenos. From seven unhoused people dying on the streets every day to rent and evictions to continuous police harassment. How do you expect people to act? Is our current situation \u2018peace\u2019? Why would anyone be shocked at this response by the people?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The protests in Los Angeles should come as no surprise given its history of mass action, Sergienko said. Riots broke out in 1992 after police brutally beat Rodney King. In 1965, the Watts Rebellion came in response to widespread racist police abuse. <a href=\"https:\/\/theintercept.com\/2021\/02\/16\/lapd-ring-surveillance-black-lives-matter-protests\/\">Protests in 2020 against police brutality<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/theintercept.com\/2025\/03\/17\/lapd-surveillance-gaza-palestine-protests-dataminr\/\">in 2024 against Israel\u2019s genocide in Gaza<\/a> are part of that same thread, he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is a long history of this kind of action in Los Angeles,\u201d he said. \u201cPoliticians don\u2019t dictate how people in this city are going to respond.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/theintercept.com\/2025\/06\/11\/protests-ilhan-omar-police-accountability\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Seventy-five House Democrats voted on Monday in support of a resolution that praised President Donald Trump\u2019s deportation regime. The vote came as Trump deployed more than 1,700 National Guard members and 700 Marines to Los Angeles to crush protests against increased U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids and mass arrests. Sponsored by Rep. Gabe Evans, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3615,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-usa-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3614","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3614"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3614\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3615"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}