California Insurrection

The Escalating Battle Over Immigration Enforcement

After a third day of violent rioting, the argument that an active insurrection is underway in Los Angeles grows ever more persuasive.

Earlier I pondered if California had declared war on the United States.

California At War With The US?

With another full day of riots and violence, the evidence is mounting that the answer is “Yes.”

Even local news coverage is acknowledging the violence.

As I noted in my earlier article, repeated violent riots are not hard to perceive as insurrection—which, we must remember, is a federal crime¹.

In an effort to ensure these images and video footage are preserved against any attempts to “memory hole” these events, everything has been archived, and all videos are downloaded and uploaded directly here, with archival links.

People may reasonably debate when riots become insurrection, and people should debate whether the riots in Los Angeles qualify as insurrection.

What we cannot debate is that these are riots and not peaceful protests.

When even corporate media is reporting that federal law enforcement agents have been injured in confrontations with rioters, we have a riot and not a peaceful protest.

When autonomous Waymo taxis are vandalized and burned, we have a riot and not a peaceful protest.

When we have people waving foreign flags in celebration of the violence, we have a riot and not a peaceful protest.

When independent journalists on the ground in Los Angeles are reporting that “the streets in Los Angeles officially belong to the rioters”, we definitely have a riot and not a peaceful protest.

X has been filled with such images for most of the day.

Again, these are the images of rioting—and at this juncture arguably insurrection—not peaceful protest.

Nor is there any doubt about the focal point of these riots: detention facilities such as the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles, where illegal aliens are being held after apprehension by ICE.

One group managed to shut down the 101 Freeway, a major traffic artery through downtown LA.

That group of rioters went on to attack California Highway Patrol officers on the scene.

We should also note that the California legislature, according to Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell, has played a role in exacerbating the violence by impeding the police response.

During a Sunday evening news conference, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said 39 people had been arrested in total, 29 on Saturday and 10 on Sunday. McDonnell also addressed accusations that the police department was slow to respond to the unrest.

"We can't participate in any way in civil immigration enforcement," McDonnell said, noting that the department must comply with the California Values Act, also known as SB 54, which prohibits local and state law enforcement agencies from assisting federal immigration enforcement actions.

Earlier President Trump posted on Truth Social that DHS and DOD personnel would “liberate Los Angeles”.

Vice President Vance had, late last night, observed on X that the violence being carried out on American streets by illegal aliens waving Mexican flags fits the definition of “invasion” rather well.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated the Trump Administration’s determination that US immigration laws would be enforced “fully and completely”, and that there would be zero tolerance for any violence or attempt to impede that enforcement.

Alternative media journalist Natalie Winters, co-host of Steve Bannon’s The War Room, noted that many of the riots were organized by groups funded through the Democrats “ActBlue” fund-raising entity.

Demonstrated links to the Democratic Party give the “insurrection” description added heft.

Even if one chooses not to view these riots as an actual insurrection, it remains a crime² to interfere with federal law enforcement in the performance of their duties.

(a) In General.—Whoever—

(1) forcibly assaults, resists, opposes, impedes, intimidates, or interferes with any person designated in section 1114 of this title while engaged in or on account of the performance of official duties; or

(2) forcibly assaults or intimidates any person who formerly served as a person designated in section 1114 on account of the performance of official duties during such person’s term of service,

shall, where the acts in violation of this section constitute only simple assault, be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both, and where such acts involve physical contact with the victim of that assault or the intent to commit another felony, be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 8 years, or both.

In every scenario, these riots are provable instances of major federal crimes calling for lengthy prison sentences. In no scenario are these riots any sort of peaceful protest.

People are not obligated to support every policy of the Trump Administration, nor even to accept silently every action of the Trump Administration. All Americans retain the right to protest and to assemble peaceably to petition for a redress of such grievances. That is the First Amendment’s guarantee to us all.

Yet it cannot be said often enough that riots are not protests, and violence is not speech. When people are injured, property is damaged, and fires are set, we are dealing a riot and not a protest. After the third day of such rioting, we may potentially be dealing with an insurrection.

We are dealing with riots (insurrection?) organized and funded by Democrat front groups.

Has California declared war on the United States?

More and more, the answer is “Yes.”

1. 18 USC §2383

2. 18 USC §111