Los Angeles has become a flashpoint in the ongoing struggle over immigration policy and the rights of marginalized communities. Over the weekend, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets to protest the escalating number of immigration raids carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). What began as a peaceful demonstration soon turned violent, as protesters faced off with heavily armed police officers and, later, National Guard troops deployed by President Donald Trump.
For many in the transgender community, the protests carry a personal resonance. Among those on the front lines was Jen Richards, a transgender actress known for her work in Mayfair Witches and Mrs. Fletcher. Richards took to Instagram to share her harrowing experience during the protests, describing how she and her partner, Rebekah Cheyne, were caught in a barrage of police violence.
“We were in downtown LA today. Thousands of peaceful protesters showed up to demonstrate that we won’t stand by as our neighbors get rounded up to appease the racist fever dreams of a President and his fragile ego,” Richards wrote in her post. “I was hit by flashbangs and rubber bullets, all while walking backwards with my hands up (and Rebekah was shoved in the chest with a police baton). I’m a rather fragile, sensitive, fight-with-my-words type, but sometimes shit goes too far and you gotta stand up for truth, liberty, and empathy.”
Richards also shared a photograph of her bruised foot, evidence of the rubber bullets that tore through the crowd. Her story underscores the real and immediate danger faced by protesters who are demanding justice for immigrants and denouncing state violence.
The protests drew national attention after a video of an Australian news reporter being shot by a rubber bullet during a live broadcast went viral. The footage shows a police officer taking aim and firing at the reporter’s leg, despite her clearly marked press credentials. A camera operator can be heard shouting in disbelief, “You just fucking shot the reporter!” Fortunately, the reporter was confirmed safe and unharmed by her network.
President Trump’s decision to invoke the Insurrection Act and deploy additional National Guard troops to Los Angeles has only deepened the crisis. California Governor Gavin Newsom, speaking to MSNBC early Monday, vowed to sue the federal government and compel the president to withdraw the troops. “The president’s decision is an illegal act, an immoral act, an unconstitutional act,” Newsom said.
In a press briefing Monday, President Trump brushed off the governor’s concerns, calling Newsom “grossly incompetent” and labeling the protesters “professional agitators” and “bad people” who “should be in jail.”
The last time the Insurrection Act was used in this manner was in 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson deployed troops to protect a civil rights march in Alabama. Today, it’s being used to silence and intimidate those who stand in solidarity with immigrant communities and challenge a system that disproportionately targets marginalized people, including transgender individuals and their loved ones.
For trans people, their families, and allies, these protests are a powerful reminder of the need to fight for a more just and compassionate world. As tensions continue to mount, voices like Jen Richards’ highlight both the pain and the determination that drive the struggle for dignity and equality.
