Text Machteld van Kempen
WUR is incredibly diverse, with hundreds of internationals working and studying here. In the Meanwhile In column, we ask one of them to comment on events in their home country.This time, a MSc student from Los Angeles, who would prefer to remain anonymous due to the political climate in the US and abroad, shares their thoughts about the ongoing protests in Los Angeles against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
‘From the perspective of Angelinos, the inhabitants of LA, the Trump administration has sent a band of armed thugs to kidnap our community members. There is an immediate material threat to our neighbours, family and friends. I think to respond to that legitimately and earnestly requires a level of organized militancy. The actions that we’re seeing right now are not necessarily organized; they are distributed and emergent. I imagine that if the scale of the abductions increases, so will the militant resistance tactics. If there’s one thing I want emphasized above all else, it’s this: fuck ICE, the federal armed goons that Trump has set upon the people of LA. I’m really proud of how my city is responding.
‘I think there is kind of a consensus among people that I talk to in LA that the scale of the civil disobedience is overhyped by US media and media abroad. When I tell people I’m from LA, they look at me as though I’m from a war zone. I think this is because from the outside LA seems a bit crazy, setting autonomous vehicles on fire and pelting cop cars with Molotov cocktails. But generally speaking, I think people in LA feel that life is going on as normal. I would imagine that people who aren’t watching the news in LA don’t even know that there are massive demonstrations taking place if they’re not directly affected by them. LA is huge, and this is happening in just a few areas.
‘Looking ahead, I’m concerned that Trump frequently talks about his desire to deport US citizens to concentration camps in El Salvador. I sort of hope that Trump is more performing authoritarianism than he is unleashing it. With respect to US activists, I’m hopeful for a shift in tactics to actions that are materially disruptive, for example the direct targeting of supply chains, companies and logistics throughout the US, rather than massive symbolic demonstrations.’
