Confrontation at SF ICE

Photos: Leon Kunstenaar

(San Francisco, June 8) - From editorials in the The New York Times, to Gov. Newsom to just about everyone, it is taken as fact that Trump wants violence. Also that he does this so that he can send "his" military to attack those of the "wrong" ethnicity.

The outrage machine continues. Trump has just ordered Marines into Los Angeles. Each unthinkable act he commits is dwarfed and normalized by the next day's, formerly unthinkable, act. Trump does have an ideology. It is extreme racism. We can expect his goal to be, for the moment unthinkable, a Gaza style solution for those areas, like Los Angeles and Francisco, that he sees as enemy territory.

I hope that Gov. Newsom is doing some hard thinking. While Trump rushes towards civil conflict, will it be enough for the Governor file legal briefs?

Since World War II, most US Presidents have generally kept to a commitment of constitutionality and the preservation of rights at home while spouting about human rights and democracy as they slaughter millions in foreign wars.

While far from accusing Trump of having a shred of human decency, it must be said that he does not like war. It's bad for business. So far, his foreign policy has been to talk tough, negotiate, get paid off, then cave in. Till Trump, the US has suffered the ethical rot of crimes against much of the world while preserving the rule of law at home (sort of). Now nations can, for a few billions here and there, have peace while the US falls under the racist dictatorship of Herr Trump.

In their anger over militarized ICE agents marauding in Los Angeles, San Franciscans converged at the ICE building on Sansome Street. Many came with helmets and goggles expecting a confrontation. Photojournalists, both real and would be, were so numerous as to end up photographing each other.

About 500 protesters assembled in front of the door. A line of police formed up the street. After shouting slogans and invective at ICE, the crowd drifted toward the police line and then formed their own line by linking arms. Some demonstrators were able to remove the flag from the fire station. The police retrieved it. Others removed the barricades from the building to form a barrier across the street. As the police and demonstrators lines met there was some scuffling and shoving as each line pushed against the other, but nothing serious occurred. Over the next hour the police gradually pushed the demonstrators toward Market Street. On Market Street demonstrators, down to about 200, did some thrashing at the Embarcadero . 60 arrests were made. Many more actions are on the way.

See all high resolution photos here.