Politics
WATCH: Karen Bass Makes Jaw-Dropping Comment On LA Riots
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said during a press conference earlier this week that the days-long anti-ICE riots that plagued the city last month “never happened.”
Bass was speaking with reporters on the recent immigration enforcement raids in the city, which have been bolstered by extra security from Marine Corps personnel after Los Angeles law enforcement failed to quell the riots last month. The mayor has repeatedly attempted to stop federal immigration enforcement actions in the city, including an incident earlier this week in which she attempted to physically halt a raid in MacArthur Park.
The Trump Administration has threatened the mayor with arrest if she actively impedes ICE raids.
During Tuesday’s press conference, Bass was asked about the recent ambush-style attack on an ICE facility in North Texas that led to a police officer being shot in the neck. “Given your strong opposition to federal immigration enforcement actions in Los Angeles, how would you address similar escalations of violence against law enforcement in Texas? And what steps would you propose to prevent such unrest from spreading to Los Angeles while balancing community safety in your sanctuary city policies?” a reporter asked.
“Well, let me just say that the quote-unquote riots that were reported never happened,” the mayor responded with a straight face. “We did have a couple of incidences of vandalism and looting but the way it was portrayed nationally was like the whole city was up in flames, the comparison to 1992, which was completely, 100% inappropriate,” Bass added before saying she was “not familiar” with the Texas ambush.
“I have no idea what happened in Texas. What I do know is what happened in Los Angeles,” she said, cutting off the reporter as he was attempting to explain. “Mayor, 11 people were arrested for trying to attack ICE agents and federal law enforcement, so I was just trying to get your perspective on how you’re gonna contain the situation here in Los Angeles and the unrest,” the reporter followed up, to which Bass replied, “I can’t respond to Texas.”
Despite the mayor’s denials, Los Angeles was indeed gripped by riots last month when far-left mobs gathered to stop ICE enforcement operations in the city’s fashion district on Friday, June 6. The mobs pelted rocks at ICE vehicles and assaulted agents before surrounding a federal building in downtown Los Angeles, trapping federal agents inside.
Rioting intensified the next day, when large crowds gathered to stop ICE operations in Paramount and other sections of Los Angeles county. Some rioters have been hit with attempted murder charges after hurling large boulders at moving ICE vehicles.
By day three, widespread rioting had spread to the City Hall district, where rioters torched multiple vehicles and hurled rocks at police vehicles from a nearby overpass.
In response to the unrest, President Donald Trump deputized the California National Guard and deployed thousands of troops to provide security around federal buildings. Troops will remain in place for at least 60 days, or at the discretion of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.