Russia and the protest in L.A. "Trump says: Thank you, Vladimir Putin!"
On Russian state television, presenter Vladimir Solovyov rejoices at the protests in Los Angeles. Groups that are fully in line with the Kremlin are also involved: Is Vladimir Putin involved to stir things up?
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- In the Russian program "Evening with Vladimir Solovyov", the namesake enjoys the situation in Los Angeles.
- The US veteran and pro-Ukrainian YouTuber Paul Lewandowski shows that the groups World Socialist Web Site and Party for Socialism and Liberation are taking part in the protests.
- These organizations, which appear to be on the left, sometimes follow the Kremlin's exact line and are clearly pro-Russian.
- Russia wants to promote chaos in the USA, which Trump is using to distract attention from a hairy fact, Lewandowski believes: Trump is 1 percent behind his predecessor Biden in terms of deportations.
"Yes, indeed: this country is hot. Very hot. 2,000 members of the National Guard have been sent to California," says the Russian namesake of the TV show "Evening with Vladimir Solovyov" to the camera, before pictures show armed security forces in action in Los Angeles.
"These are the quiet, peaceful streets of American cities," the 61-year-old continues sarcastically on state broadcaster "Rossiya 1". "Wonderful, happy California. It's normal, isn't it? I'm still waiting for the protests in Europe about the violation of the rights of these peaceful demonstrators [in the USA]."
Solovyov summarizes: "I am watching and enjoying it."
Political scientist Andrei Sidorov from the University of Moscow saw it coming: "I wanted to say: so it's started?" "Oh!" exclaims Solovyov, rubbing his hands together with a grin. "Yes," smiles Sidorov. "As has been said: something has to happen in the USA under this president."
"What about Berlin and Paris?"
That's strong stuff, but on the other hand, "Rossiya 1" is not exactly known for its restraint: After Donald Trump's election victory in November, the channel showed breezy pictures of First Lady Melania. Vladimir Solovyov and his show team are also always up for a provocation.
On the same show, Solovyov says: "Why only [take] Ekaterinoslav?" he asks Sidorov, referring to the Russian name of the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. "You think too small: what about Berlin and Paris?" "How are we supposed to feed them?" the professor asks back. "Who said we should feed them?" counters the presenter.
It remains to be seen that Moscow's unofficial mouthpiece is enjoying the chaos in the USA. However, the Kremlin may also be involved in the riots in California, at least according to former US soldier Paul Lewandowski, creator of the YouTube channel Combat Veteran Reacts.
Fully in line with the Kremlin
Lewandowski notices that the World Socialist Web Site (WSWS) from Los Angeles reports that federal officials are using tear gas and rubber bullets against citizens. His own "reporter" was also affected by this, "although he was doing nothing other than documenting the fascist rampage".
The problem: WSWS is part of the International Committee of the Fourth International and is in thrall to Moscow, according to the American. This can be seen, for example, in the fact that the WSWS calls the Euromaidan in Kiev in 2014 a coup d'état that the USA and Germany instigated with the help of far-right Ukrainians.
At the time, the WSWS also accused German media such as "Spiegel" and "Zeit" of conducting "anti-Russian propaganda" and portraying Vladimir Putin as the "new Hitler and aggressor". "That sounds like someone else's narrative," Lewandowski teases, referring to the Kremlin's official interpretation, which the WSWS sometimes adopts word for word.
Butsha massacre as a "pretext" for Nato
Russia's president is on a brave crusade against the West - and Syria's fallen dictator Bashar al-Assad is also ennobled as a friend of the WSWS. I wonder what he would have done if citizens had protested against the national migration policy, as they did in Los Angeles.
But could it not be that the creators are only interested in the social idea? Lewandowski disagrees, referring to the WSWS: the internationally recognized Russian massacres in Butsha, Ukraine, were merely a "pretext" to escalate the "NATO war against Russia".
The war in Ukraine is just a "desperate and reactionary response" to the end of the Soviet Union: it is being dragged on and on by the "imperial powers". The US and the West are therefore to blame, the WSWS parrots the Russian president's way of thinking. Sometimes even the terminology is the same, Lewandowski knows.
Praise for North Korea: "Why don't you go there?"
The veteran and pro-Ukrainian YouTuber also notices that the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) is calling for demonstrations. What they are calling for should please Putin: The USA should cut the defense budget by 90 percent and close all foreign bases.
They also support North Korea's People's Party because Pyongyang is "one of the few alternatives to the global capitalist system". How would Kim Jong-un react if he had to reduce his defense budget to ten percent?
"Guys, if you love it so much, she would be happy to receive you: Why don't you move there?", Lewandoswki shakes his head. "You even defended North Korea's human rights record against criticism from the United Nations." The Kremlin's invasion of Crimea is not a problem for the PSL: Moscow was merely responding to the requests of ethnic Russians for protection.
Trump also relies on escalation
Russia wants to promote instability in the USA, Lewandoswki believes. However, Trump is also an ally of Putin, who has so far successfully protected him from those voices in US politics calling for Washington to take a tougher stance towards Moscow.
Mexican flags were very present at the protests.
Image: Keystone
A demonstrator waves a Mexican flag as a Waymo cab burns near the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles.
Image: Keystone
There were clashes with the police on the fringes of the initially peaceful protests.
Image: Jae C. Hong/AP/dpa
Several cars were set on fire.
Image: Jae C. Hong/AP/dpa
The police drove demonstrators off a freeway that runs through the city center.
Image: Eric Thayer/AP/dpa
Hundreds of National Guard soldiers are deployed in Los Angeles.
Image: Jae Hong/AP/dpa
California Governor Gavin Newsom considers the Trump administration's actions to be unlawful.
Image: Noah Berger/AP/dpa
National Guard soldiers marched in front of a federal prison in Los Angeles.
Image: Jae Hong/AP/dpa
The police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to stop the demonstrators.
Image: Keystone
Lighter bullets were also used: here, police officers march through soap bubbles.
Image: Keystone
Police officers take cover as activists throw stones and fireworks at their vehicles.
Image: Keystone
The tear gas does not stop this activist from waving the US flag.
Image: Keystone
Not everyone is quite so steadfast: activists flee from the tear gas.
Image: Keystone
A demonstrator washes his face with milk after the police used tear gas and stun grenades in front of the federal building in Santa Ana.
Image: Keystone
Mexican flags were very present at the protests.
Image: Keystone
A demonstrator waves a Mexican flag as a Waymo cab burns near the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles.
Image: Keystone
There were clashes with the police on the fringes of the initially peaceful protests.
Image: Jae C. Hong/AP/dpa
Several cars were set on fire.
Image: Jae C. Hong/AP/dpa
The police drove demonstrators off a freeway that runs through the city center.
Image: Eric Thayer/AP/dpa
Hundreds of National Guard soldiers are deployed in Los Angeles.
Image: Jae Hong/AP/dpa
California Governor Gavin Newsom considers the Trump administration's actions to be unlawful.
Image: Noah Berger/AP/dpa
National Guard soldiers marched in front of a federal prison in Los Angeles.
Image: Jae Hong/AP/dpa
The police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to stop the demonstrators.
Image: Keystone
Lighter bullets were also used: here, police officers march through soap bubbles.
Image: Keystone
Police officers take cover as activists throw stones and fireworks at their vehicles.
Image: Keystone
The tear gas does not stop this activist from waving the US flag.
Image: Keystone
Not everyone is quite so steadfast: activists flee from the tear gas.
Image: Keystone
A demonstrator washes his face with milk after the police used tear gas and stun grenades in front of the federal building in Santa Ana.
Image: Keystone
But the White House is also relying on escalation: "Why did the Trump administration send the National Guard to California, even though California said: We have this under control?" A measure that organizations such as WSWS and PSL are in turn using to escalate their violence, according to Lewandowski.
Trump should appear strong in the protests against ICE because the government is failing in terms of deportations: in mid-May, it was even 1 percent behind Joe Biden's figures for the same period in 2024. Trump's predecessor had 2.4 million people deported from the country in 2023 - a record figure that will not be easy to beat.
Lewandoski's conclusion: "Trump says: Thank you, Vladimir Putin! For creating this powder keg that I can send federal agents into. It will give the impression that I'm doing something. Everyone will be distracted. No one will see that I'm failing in a rather humiliating way at the one thing I was elected to do. Everybody wins - except the American people."
