Great architect of the ceasefire in Gaza and the return to business in Europe to try to end the war in Ukraine, Donald Trump is sculpting his image as a peacemaker. However, this representation of the peacemaker at the international level does not really fit with the divisive policy that continues with an iron fist in the United States.
This Saturday, October 18, millions of Americans intend to peacefully demonstrate against “authoritarian power grabs” by the Trump administration, writes Time. “We want to remind the president and his facilitators that the United States has no kings and that power belongs to the people,” says one of the organizing groups. Hence the name “No Kings” given to this movement.
“The Americans refuse. They demonstrate against the violent attacks they suffer from their president, who disregards and tramples on the rule of law,” says Sébastien Roux, sociologist and director of research at the CNRS, contacted by BFMTV. “They are also rising up in the face of the violence of repression against the justice system and opponents,” he says.
Questioned immigration policy and mass layoffs
The protesters’ demands are numerous. They especially reject Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration policy. In recent weeks, the US immigration police, ICE, has increased expulsions of illegal immigrants, often in violent and even humiliating ways. Faithful to his electoral promises, the Republican president tripled the budget of this police force and launched a broad recruitment campaign to support the 20,000 agents already active. All with the aim of fighting against immigration.
Likewise, the deployment of the National Guard in several American cities, such as Los Angeles, was not liked by protesters, Time specifies. Last August, Donald Trump authorized soldiers to walk the streets of Washington to fight an increase in crime, although the mayor of the federal capital, Muriel Bowser, denied this. In recent days, a court ruling also prevented the National Guard from arriving in Chicago.
“They are sending in the National Guard. They are terrorizing our immigrant friends and neighbors. They are taking their political opponents to court,” protests Leah Greenberg, co-founder of the “Indivisible” collective, quoted by AFP.
Recently, John Bolton, former national security advisor to the US president, was accused of illegally retaining and sharing classified documents. He is the third political opponent of Donald Trump to be prosecuted.
“Americans risk a lot by protesting. Not to mention prison, they may, for example, worry about their employer,” comments Sébastien Roux.
Donald Trump also takes aim at federal governments. The Republican, who had announced the dismissal of 4,000 federal officials working in seven ministries, finally saw his decision annulled by a federal judge this Wednesday, October 15.
Since his return to the White House, the 45th and 47th president of the United States has continued to make layoffs or budget cuts. Several scientific and environmental agencies have been affected by these discounts, which has long worried experts and elected officials about the future of research, especially in the health field.
“It could get even bigger”
Last June, the first demonstrations shook the United States and brought together some five million Americans. Time even talks about “one of the largest one-day demonstrations in the country’s history.” The demands were already similar to those of today: react against “the expansive use of presidential power” by Donald Trump.
“These demonstrations were very surprising,” says Sébastien Roux. “The United States had already experienced this type of movement, but not on this scale,” says the specialist. This climate of protest is almost unprecedented since the beginning of the Trump presidency. And “this could become even more generalized,” estimates the sociologist and director of research at the CNRS.
“The United States is divided at all levels. Everything has become politicized. The media, justice…”, explains this specialist in the United States.
If Joe Biden embodied the ambition to reconcile the United States, this is not Donald Trump’s aspiration. “He wants to accentuate divisions to try to convey his vision of things,” analyzes Sébastien Roux. Furthermore, the protesters are considered “internal enemies,” continues the sociologist.
In total, more than 2,600 meetings will be held in many major cities across the country, including Washington, Boston, New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Atlanta. At the moment, “no one knows whether these demonstrations will weaken or strengthen” the image of the divisive President Donald Trump, concludes Sébastien Roux.
Source: BFM TV
