The anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles are now in their fifth day. To all involved, the concern for the normal day-to-day lives of normal citizens has gone entirely by the wayside. It's all about the people who are there illegally and their "rights." The modern left-wing activism industry dates back quite a way, likely to the era of the Vietnam War. Like most things, it has, for lack of a better word, "improved" over time. Today, we assume that most of its foot soldiers get ginned up by angry videos on the internet. But as the old saying goes, you can attract more flies with honey than vinegar.
Since at least January 20, 2025, summer protests have been on the table for the left. It didn't matter what the "cause" was, just as long as there could be prolonged violent protests about something. All of the infrastructure was already in place; they just needed to know what to print on the signs. Enter illegal immigration and ICE arrests. Through the amazing reporting of RedState's own Managing Editor, Jen Van Laar, we have a good idea of who is paying for what. Fox News Channel's Bill Melugin reported that in addition to being heavily funded, protesters are using handheld radios to communicate, and most likely, encrypted apps like Signal. It is a very well-oiled machine.
READ MORE: Taxpayer-Funded Riots: Here's What We Found When We Followed the Money in Los Angeles
So, how do the organizers bring the willingly organized to them? Turns out, it doesn't have to be wall-to-wall angry internet videos. Getting the afore-mentioned foot soldiers to break out the Kleenex before the Molotov cocktails may work just as well. A recent article on the website for the former St. Louis Post-Dispatch, stltoday.com, is a sugary-dripping puff piece on a few of the residents of St. Louis. They were very careful not to call anyone in the piece "illegal," so their actual status is unknown. The one person who was named is a legal immigrant with a permit to live and work in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
But the article claims that when he went to the ICE office to check in, he was arrested. Further down the article, it is explained that the man in question, along with several other family members, is from Honduras and has asylum claims pending. Guess if you say that up front, you don't get the desired reaction. Ultimately, he checked in at the St. Louis office, then headed home to Cape Girardeau. The article checks off all the boxes for anti-ICE sentiment. It goes on to talk about immigrants who go to check in with their children and are separated from them.
Isabel Lipman, who lives in Southeast Baltimore, said she came to the protest because she can’t believe “people are being kidnapped off the street and nothing is being done.” This is her second Eyes on ICE protest.
ICE agents are not going to stop arresting illegal immigrants, especially the most dangerous. Make no mistake, this is how Democrats and the left plan to spend their summer. These protests are going to spread. You are also not just going to see Mexican flags, but Palestinian flags as well. Because they are all the same crowd. There have already been reports of protests in Dallas, and several left-wing groups in Florida have vowed to "stand in solidarity" with protesters in L.A. It should be fun to see how that goes for them when they face off against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. But now organizers are finding out that they don't need hard recruitment tactics. A few well-placed puff pieces on local news sites should do the trick. My obvious question is: how long before we see protests outside ICE offices not just in St. Louis, but elsewhere? My guess, not long. You don't have to make people angry; sometimes, a little tug at the heartstrings will do just fine.
Editor's Note: President Trump isn't going to allow lawlessness to reign in America. We will not have a repeat of 2020's "Summer of Love."
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