Agents with the Department of Homeland Security (ICE) were caught on camera ramming a vehicle at an intersection, drawing their guns and pointing them at the driver, while also launching tear gas at the vehicle. The suspect was a US citizen, and his passengers included a woman with an infant - so yes, ICE hit a car with an infant, pointing guns at the child, and tear gassed them. Homeland Security claims that the driver was wanted for allegedly punching an agent, but that doesn't mean deadly force and potential homicide are warranted. Farron Cousins explains what happened.
NO IDENTIFICATION! UNMARKED VEHICLE! POINTED WEAPONS! NO WARRANT!
Surrounded a vehicle, tear gassed kids in the car...when a crowd gathered ICE GESTAPO quickly disappeared!
FAKE IMAGES HAVE BEEN CIRCULATED & IDENTIFIED....
IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT ICE GESTAPO TACTICS CAUSED
THE ANTI-ICE PROTESTS IN CALIFORNIA & ELSEWHERE....
Gavin Newsom Accuses Trump Administration of Spreading Fake Protest Images
PublishedJun 14, 2025
excerpt:
California Governor Gavin Newsom has accused the Trump administration of deliberately spreading doctored and misleading images of recent protests in Los Angeles.
On X, formerly Twitter, the Department of Defense's Rapid Response account posted a video that appeared to show burning, graffitied police cars during protests in Los Angeles this week.
However, the fact-checking website Snopes said the image showed protests in Los Angeles following the death of George Floyd in May 2020.
The governor's office wrote on X on Friday: "HUGE DEVELOPMENT: An official Department of Defense account is spreading fake images—from old protests—to justify Trump's illegal militarization of Los Angeles. This isn't just disinformation. It's a propaganda campaign from the Pentagon."
Sean Parnell, the Pentagon's chief spokesperson, told Newsweek in response: "Gavin Newsom has let L.A. burn to the ground on so many occasions, it's hard to distinguish between all the lawlessness, violence, and chaos throughout the last few years. President Trump and Secretary Hegseth are stepping up to protect federal law-enforcement officers and federal property—even if Gavin Newsom will not."
Newsweek has contacted Newsom's office for comment via email.
According to a Snopes analysis, the roof numbers on the LAPD cars seen in the video—504 and 658—match vehicles seen in NBC News coverage from May 31, 2020. In both the 2020 and 2025 videos, car 504 appears with its hood open, and car 658 is engulfed in flames.
Snopes has identified at least two other instances of social media users sharing doctored and misleading images and videos of recent protests in Los Angeles.
One video showed people setting a Jeep on fire in the street. The footage appeared in a June 8 X post with more than 2 million views. The caption said: "OVERNIGHT IN LA: Low IQ Illegal Aliens light themselves on FIRE after dousing Jeep with gasoline and lighting it. Do you feel bad for these guys?"
Texas' Largest Newspaper Trashes Greg Abbott Protest Move: 'Expect Better'
TheHouston Chronicle, Texas's top selling newspaper, haspublished an editorialfiercely critical of GovernorGreg Abbottover his rhetoric and decision to deploy Texas National Guard troops in response to protests against immigration enforcement, saying "we expect better of him."
Newsweek contacted Governor Abbott for comment on Friday via email outside of regular office hours.
Why It Matters
On Tuesday, Abbott announced the deployment of Texas National Guard soldiers. The following day on X he said "5,000+" National Guard personnel would help manage protests in the state adding: "Don't mess with Texas."
The move came after days of unrest in Los Angeles which began on June 6 when demonstrators clashed with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents attempting to conduct raids in the city. The following days saw more violent disorder with Waymo self-driving vehicles set on fire and rocks thrown at police who responded with tear gas and other "less lethal" weapons.
Abbott's move places him at odds with California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, who opposed President Donald Trump's decision to deploy California National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles.
What to Know
In its editorial, the Houston Chronicle said Abbott's decision to deploy National Guard troops following protests "seems like an overreaction," adding: "But there was no serious indication Tuesday that Texas was on the verge of exploding. No burning cars. No looting. No mayors imposing curfews."
Instead the editorial claimed the "most significant provocation to violence seemed to come from Abbott himself, citing the governor's warning that "Peaceful protesting is legal. But once you cross the line, you will be arrested. FAFO." FAFO is an acronym for 'F*** around find out.'
The editorial described this as "the kind of thing that middle schoolers say before a fistfight" adding: "This isn't the grown-up leadership that Texas needs."
According to All Sides, a website which monitors media bias, the Houston Chronicle is a centrist publication. In recent years it has endorsed Democratic presidential candidates including Kamala Harris in 2024 and Joe Biden in 2020.
There was some disorder in Austin and Dallas on Monday night during anti-ICE protests, police making a number of arrests in both cities.
According to Fox 7 Austin, four officers were injured after some demonstrators began throwing rocks and other missiles, while police responded with pepper balls and tear gas.
Further protests are expected across Texas on Saturday as part of the national "No Kings" movement, which said it has organized 1,800 demonstrations nationwide. The protests coincide with Trump's 79th birthday and a controversial parade planned for Washington, D.C. nominally celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer ordered the Trump administration to return control of the California National Guard troops he deployed to Newsom, though this was later temporarily blocked by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal.
What People Are Saying
In its editorial the Houston Chronicle said: "We join Gov. Abbott in urging that anyone planning to protest do so peacefully. But we also hope that he and other leaders will set a respectful tone and allow police to do their jobs. Local law officers have more peacekeeping training and community knowledge than National Guard soldiers. And the National Guard, in turn, is far better at domestic peacekeeping than the U.S. military. Domestic policing is not the military's job, not what the vast majority of soldiers are trained to do."
On Thursday, via X, Abbott said: "Texas will not tolerate the lawlessness we've seen in LA. I deployed 5,000+ Texas National Guard soldiers & 2,000+ DPS troopers across Texas to maintain order at these protests.
"Anyone who damages property or harms a person will be arrested. Don't mess with Texas."
Speaking to Newsweek about Saturday's planned protests Mark Shanahan, who teaches American politics at the UK's Surrey University, said: "How many people turn out for the 1,800 planned protests will be fascinating and an indication of the strength of opposition to Trump's hard-line policies on immigration and law and order. For 249 years the USA really hasn't tolerated kings or tyranny, yet this president continues to push ever-harder at those Constitutional barriers. His military parade is more reminiscent of the exercises in hubris and vanity often seen in Moscow and Pyongyang."
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen what role, if any, the Texas National Guard will fulfill during Saturday's 'No Kings' protests. Any conflict between soldiers and demonstrators on American streets would likely spark civil liberties concerns.
Governor Greg Abbott speaking during a bill signing in the State Capitol on April 23, 2025 in Austin, Texas. Brandon Bell/GETTY
According to All Sides, a website which monitors media bias, the Houston Chronicle is a centrist publication. In recent years it has endorsed Democratic presidential candidates including Kamala Harris in 2024 and Joe Biden in 2020.
There was some disorder in Austin and Dallas on Monday night during anti-ICE protests, police making a number of arrests in both cities.
According to Fox 7 Austin, four officers were injured after some demonstrators began throwing rocks and other missiles, while police responded with pepper balls and tear gas.
Further protests are expected across Texas on Saturday as part of the national "No Kings" movement, which said it has organized 1,800 demonstrations nationwide. The protests coincide with Trump's 79th birthday and a controversial parade planned for Washington, D.C. nominally celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer ordered the Trump administration to return control of the California National Guard troops he deployed to Newsom, though this was later temporarily blocked by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal.
What People Are Saying
In its editorial the Houston Chronicle said: "We join Gov. Abbott in urging that anyone planning to protest do so peacefully. But we also hope that he and other leaders will set a respectful tone and allow police to do their jobs. Local law officers have more peacekeeping training and community knowledge than National Guard soldiers. And the National Guard, in turn, is far better at domestic peacekeeping than the U.S. military. Domestic policing is not the military's job, not what the vast majority of soldiers are trained to do."
On Thursday, via X, Abbott said: "Texas will not tolerate the lawlessness we've seen in LA. I deployed 5,000+ Texas National Guard soldiers & 2,000+ DPS troopers across Texas to maintain order at these protests.
"Anyone who damages property or harms a person will be arrested. Don't mess with Texas."
Speaking to Newsweek about Saturday's planned protests Mark Shanahan, who teaches American politics at the UK's Surrey University, said: "How many people turn out for the 1,800 planned protests will be fascinating and an indication of the strength of opposition to Trump's hard-line policies on immigration and law and order. For 249 years the USA really hasn't tolerated kings or tyranny, yet this president continues to push ever-harder at those Constitutional barriers. His military parade is more reminiscent of the exercises in hubris and vanity often seen in Moscow and Pyongyang."
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen what role, if any, the Texas National Guard will fulfill during Saturday's 'No Kings' protests. Any conflict between soldiers and demonstrators on American streets would likely spark civil liberties concerns.
Welcome to Stop the Presses, a weekly newsletter about how right-wing extremism has exploited the weaknesses in American journalism and what we can do about it.
National media yawn when millions protest peacefully
Journalists gravitate toward conflict, but civilized engagement matters too.
Mark Jacob
Jun 16
One of the largest protests in American history occurred over the weekend, and it was overwhelmingly peaceful. The national news media covered the “No Kings” rallies and marches dutifully, but not particularly loudly. The protests weremostly useful to the media as visuals – big crowds, clever signs, cute costumes.
By one estimate, about 5 million showed up to Saturday’s protests, a big jump from the 3 million tally at the April 5 “Hands Off” demonstrations. After that resistance event against the Trump regime, the New York Times ran a photo below the fold on the front page; this time, the photo climbed above the fold. Which is some type of progress, I suppose.
Nonetheless, the overall national coverage was underwhelming, considering the scope and significance of the event.
There were some good reasons why, including competition from other breaking news. A right-wing extremist’s assassination of the former speaker of the Minnesota House understandably eclipsed the “No Kings” protests as the biggest political story of the day. In addition, there was the increasingly dangerous Iran-Israel conflict and Donald Trump’s own public event – a military parade on his birthday.
What was disappointing to me was how quickly the “No Kings” protest story went away. By Sunday, it was barely mentioned on the homepages of many major news websites. Where were the “follow” stories about what 2,000 protests in 50 states might mean for Trump's public support and whether the resistance is gaining traction? What about a story on the non-confrontational tactics of the protest organizers? Maybe those are coming soon, but I haven’t seen them yet.
While this past weekend’s protests maintained an overall peaceful vibe, there were a few exceptions: A man drove a car into a “No Kings” crowd in Virginia, and police used tear gas against alleged “outside agitators” at the end of an otherwise positive Los Angeles demonstration.
That Los Angeles clash got media attention – a reminder that news coverage often tacks toward the negative. It’s a journalism fact that good news is often no news. You don’t see headlines reading, “Millions Not Mugged.”
But peacefulness should be newsworthy amid our bitter political divisions, and this past weekend’s coverage reminds us of the challenge that the resistance faces in getting its message out. The national media are operating on a sliding scale: the more peaceful the anti-Trump movement is, the less coverage it gets. Which means the only time it gets major coverage is when that coverage is negative.
This is not only unfair to democracy defenders but is also a boon to a would-be dictator and his propagandists, who dishonestly refer to protesters as “rioters” and want the public to think any form of dissent is a threat to public safety.
One of the causes of our current crisis is lack of engagement. So it should be celebrated when 5 million people come out to express their political views in a civilized manner. It would be nice if major news organizations shared that view, but corporate media seem to have other priorities.
The local emphasis of the anti-Trump protests – not just a few events in major cities but protests in many small towns too – seems like a smart strategy. When people on their way to the supermarket see their neighbors protesting, it makes an impact. It’s harder to demonize people when they come across as perfectly normal members of your community.
And the widespread footprint of the protests allows the anti-Trump movement to become highly visible even without strong news coverage on the national level. Local news outlets have generally covered the protests aggressively. Studies show thatlocal news is considered more credible than national news, so these local reports have an outsized impact.
Which leads us to a familiar conclusion: We’re going to have to defeat fascism without much help from the national mainstream media.
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