Riots, Not Protests: Stop Letting Mayhem Masquerade as Justice
Over the weekend, Los Angeles was once again plunged into chaos under the guise of “protests”…this time allegedly in response to ICE detaining and deporting illegal immigrants. But let’s stop pretending this was about immigration policy. These weren’t protests. They were riots. And anyone with a shred of honesty knows it.
Let’s talk about the hypocrisy first. The same political party and their activist affiliates who sound alarms over climate change and air pollution are silent…or worse, complicit…when left-wing rioters set fire to Waymo vehicles in the middle of the city. Because apparently, if the toxic smoke comes from burning cars during a “social justice” protest, it doesn’t count. LA has been ravaged by wildfires in recent years. People lost homes, lives, and livelihoods. And yet, we’re back to setting things ablaze in the streets as though that’s somehow a path to progress?
Anyone calling these demonstrations “peaceful” is either lying or willfully pushing a political narrative designed to replace actual rights with cherry-picked mayhem. Let me be clear:
You aren’t protesting peacefully if you’re throwing rocks or cinderblocks at police.
You aren’t protesting peacefully if you’re vandalizing property.
You aren’t protesting peacefully if you’re lighting vehicles on fire.
You aren’t protesting peacefully if you’re blocking emergency services.
And no, your right to assemble doesn’t mean you can shut down neighborhoods whenever and wherever you please. That’s not civil disobedience. Rosa Parks wasn’t hurling bricks or torching city buses. She sat quietly, knowingly accepting the consequence to make a moral point. These rioters? They’re looking for excuses to act like wild animals in the street under the protection of a politicized media.
Let’s pivot to immigration, because that’s the alleged spark for all of this. I keep hearing left-wing pundits wring their hands and clutch their pearls over the idea that ICE is targeting people who “haven’t committed any crimes.” But if you entered this country illegally, you’ve committed a crime. That’s not my opinion…it’s the law.
Is it heartbreaking when families are separated? Of course. But the blame doesn’t fall on ICE or Trump or the American public. It falls on the parents who made the irresponsible decision to enter the country illegally knowing the potential consequences. We can feel compassion without abandoning law and order.
And while we’re at it, I’ve seen more than a few grotesque social media posts saying things like, “Who will pick our berries and clean our bathrooms?” Excuse me? That’s not just racist…it’s dehumanizing. That’s white privilege on full display. Here’s my answer: American citizens, paid a fair wage, with benefits. I don’t want illegal immigrants, many of whom have been trafficked and exploited, working in inhumane conditions for pennies. That’s not progress. That’s modern-day slavery.
So how do we actually move forward?
Demand better protests. If you care about immigration reform, take your message to Washington, D.C. Protest peacefully, legally, and with purpose. Don’t burn your own city to the ground.
Offer real policy alternatives. Push for a codified DREAM Act that gives children brought here illegally through no fault of their own a legal pathway to citizenship.
Incentivize truth-telling. Provide a path to legal residency for trafficked individuals who assist law enforcement in dismantling human trafficking networks.
The immigration system is broken. We all know that. But you don’t fix a broken system by torching Teslas and smashing windows. You fix it by being brave enough to face hard truths, propose real solutions, and demand that justice apply to everyone…not just those who fit your narrative.
Let’s stop confusing destruction with justice and call these riots what they are: lawless, dangerous, and politically manipulative.
