Republicans clash with Democratic lawmakers defending violent anti-ICE rioters

Violent riots broke out in Los Angeles over the weekend as Immigration and Customs Enforcement began cracking down on deportations, with footage of masked protestors waving foreign flags, burning vehicles, and throwing rocks at law enforcement. In spite of all the chaos, Democrats were quick to defend the rioters.

Several high-profile California Democrats, like Gov. Gavin Newsom and Sen. Adam Schiff, attempted to downplay the violence and encourage peaceful protesting, recognizing the less-than-flattering optics of the situation. Others, like Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters of California, flat-out glossed over the violence and even likened it to protests during the Civil Rights Movement.

'Gavin Newsom can [no] longer hide his failures and incompetence.'

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Photo by RINGO CHIU/AFP via Getty Images

"My message to Donald Trump is you are a cruel human being and that you're using the poorest people in the land, the most vulnerable people in the land, to promote your politics," Waters said. "You are wrong. We know what this is all about."

"All of the elected officials in this city should be on the street," Waters added. "I want them to know what happened during the Civil Rights Movement, where we got out onto the street, where we marched, where we fought, and we made the government change."

Similarly, Democratic Rep. Nanette Barragan of California inaccurately claimed that President Donald Trump's administration is going after peaceful protesters. During an interview with CNN on Sunday, Barragan reiterated her point without realizing that the outlet was simultaneously airing footage of protesters rioting in a less-than-peaceful way.

"The president is sending the National Guard because he doesn't like the scenes," Barragan said. "He doesn't like the scenes of people peacefully protesting, and we know that California law enforcement, local law enforcement, they're there to protect the public. They're there to protect and have public safety, and that's what they're there to do."

'Stay peaceful? It never was peaceful.'

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Photo by Apu Gomes/Getty Images

One of the most high-profile defenses of the protests over the weekend came from former Vice President Kamala Harris. The failed presidential candidate said the ICE raids were part of Trump's "cruel, calculated agenda to spread division" and claimed that the protests have been "overwhelmingly peaceful."

Republicans refuted the mainstream Democratic narrative that the protests were both peaceful and justified. Republican Rep. Vince Fong of California condemned the riots and blamed Newsom's "failures and incompetence" for the escalation.

"Rioters blocking freeways, setting fires, and clashing with federal, state and local law enforcement," Fong said. "Gavin Newsom can [no] longer hide his failures and incompetence. Los Angeles deserves better."

Republicans outside of California, like Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Andy Biggs of Arizona, had similar reactions.

"Democrats are waging an insurrection and using Antifa, Cartels, and criminal illegals to, as the media says, 'peacefully protest' ICE deporting illegal rapists, child/human traffickers, and drug dealers," Greene said. "The left is inciting a war on US soil and is siding with terrorists."

"Stay peaceful? It never was peaceful," Biggs said. "What a disgusting joke. Democrats will never take responsibility for their failed policies."

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