On Monday evening, Mayor Adams and Police Commissioner Tisch livestreamed a video message online and on local news outlets regarding the ongoing protests against the Trump administration’s mass deportation policy. The recent escalation from the White House–-marked by raids at workplaces, mass arrests in federal buildings, and a refusal to allow Congress to carry out its legally mandated duties of oversight–has led to a massive backlash from the public in Los Angeles, where demonstrators have clashed with law enforcement since Friday.
In a carefully-worded statement, the mayor of the city with the largest immigrant population in the country sought to acknowledge their feelings, but emphasized his commitment to maintaining order. “I understand that some New Yorkers may be angry, afraid, and ready to express that,” Adams said, before adding that LA-style demonstrations “will not be tolerated if attempted in our city.” He went on to invoke Martin Luther King Jr.’s notion that nonviolence is a “sword that heals,” and encouraged people who want to demonstrate to do so with that in mind.
Despite Adams’ endorsement of nonviolent protest, Commissioner Tisch used her time at the pulpit to dismiss a number of tactics that are nonviolent. Tisch reiterated that there was “no tolerance for violence — none,” but also added that there wasn’t any “for people blocking entrances to buildings, or blocking driveways or blocking cars from moving.” Over the weekend, demonstrators blocked the path of a van leaving Federal Plaza that they suspected was transporting migrants, resulting in nearly two dozen arrests.
On the same day as the mayor’s message, reports emerged that President Trump plans to deploy 700 Marines to Los Angeles in addition to the National Guard already there. During Adams’ and Tisch’s announcement, they were flanked by Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Kaz Daughtry and NYPD Chief of Department John Chell. In a social media post from this weekend, Daughtry shared pictures of himself, Chell, and President Trump after playing a round of golf together, calling the experience a “fantastic afternoon.”
