Finneas O’Connell joined the Los Angeles demonstrations against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) recent raids and said he faced force “almost immediately.”
Last week, the city of Los Angeles responded to ICE’s intense raids and arrests of immigrants with massive protests. The situation kept escalating when Trump sent in the National Guard, but that hasn’t deterred people from opposing the mass deportations. In an Instagram post, Finneas implied that authorities on the scene in L.A. were provoking the violence.
“Tear gassed almost immediately at the very peaceful protest downtown—they’re inciting this,” he posted on his Instagram Stories. “Fuck ICE.”
Coverage from the Los Angeles protests has shown a troubling picture of National Guard and ICE officers, who have used significant less-lethal force against demonstrators. Recently, Australian 9News reporter Lauren Tomasi was reporting on the protests when she appeared to be deliberately targeted by an officer who fired a rubber bullet straight at her.
While much of the protest coverage has tried to portray what’s happening in Los Angeles as violence coming from the protesters’ side, there’s been mounting evidence showing that Trump and ICE are the ones starting the conflicts. Multiple viral videos show officers being excessive in their reactions to pressure from civilians, many of whom have no option but to wear masks to shield themselves from either tear gas or from being recognized and facing political retaliation.
Despite this, protesters have stayed firm in their convictions, as one viral clip below demonstrates.
