LOS ANGELES—On Monday, heavily armed federal officers entered MacArthur Park reportedly as a “show of presence.” News reports and recorded videos showed that there were horses and armored vehicles and that the federal agents were carrying weapons and tactical gear. The display comes after weeks of masked federal agents unlawfully abducting and disappearing immigrants.
In response, Chandra Bhatnagar, executive director of the ACLU of Southern California, issued the following statement:
“What happened in MacArthur Park was unacceptable and unnecessary. All Angelinos should be able to gather in public places free from intimidation and harassment, and no one should be afraid to go out in public because of the color of our skin or the language that we speak.
Mayor Bass rightly said that it was outrageous and un-American to have heavily armed vehicles in our parks. We at the ACLU will be monitoring the deployment of federal troops to ensure that the constitutional rights of all members of our community are respected.”