Protests in Los Angeles: A Mixed Perspective

Get ready for what they’re calling the 2025 version of “almost peaceful protest.”

It appears to be, well, just a “small part of the city.”

Even the more liberal media outlets seem aware that when someone waving a Mexican flag is donning a skull mask and setting fire to a car, it doesn’t look great. It’s tricky for protesters to cast President Trump as a fascist when such actions incite violence and looting. They seem to be grasping at straws, perhaps trying to claim that it’s Trump who’s igniting chaos instead of the crowd.

When previous riots—like those surrounding George Floyd—descended into pandemonium, the narrative from CNN often sounded like “an almost peaceful protest.” Sure, a few individuals burned down a police station, but they managed to sidestep the more complex narrative.

This time, they’re framing it geographically.

A report from the New York Times mentioned, “Federal agents clashed with protesters in the Los Angeles area on the third day, with hundreds of National Guard deployed.” But then it added that, really, life in many parts of the sprawling city went on as usual.

The Times even had an article that stated, “Life in the city continues,” noting how, simultaneously, parades and other events were happening in an area of around 18 million residents.

Framing is everywhere, as it often is. Axios noted that clashes were “concentrated in several blocks downtown.”

Ah, yes—just a small slice. Shutdowns on the 101 highway and burning Waymo cars don’t really seem like a huge deal. Everything’s just fine in Santa Monica, right?

Think about it—what if all news was framed this way? Sure, there’s violence in Queens, but life is just rolling along in Brooklyn. A hurricane in Florida? It’s hardly representative of the entire country.

The motivation behind this reporting is pretty clear, and perhaps even a little amusing. The media is facing challenges, and they seem keen on keeping us distracted. Meanwhile, for the rest of us, life just goes on.