‘He summoned a mob': Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer reveals events he says sparked Los Angeles rioters
Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer has outlined what he says really kicked off protests in Los Angeles that has caused havoc on the city's streets in recent days.
The National Guard has been deployed to LA amid chaotic scenes after tensions over the Trump administration's controversial crackdown on illegal immigrants erupted over the weekend.
Speaking with Sky News host Andrew Bolt on Tuesday, Mr Spicer broke down the events that caused the riots to break out after he was asked about what led to the protests.
According to Mr Spicer, the protests were really sparked when a Democrat California State Assembly member on Saturday saw US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents driving trucks and arriving at an LA facility where they worked.
'And so he started to livestream it, and said to folks, 'come gather in this paramount section of California' that he represents because 'something's got to be happening',' the former White House press secretary explained.
Mr Spicer said hundreds of people then descended on the area to observe the federal agent's activity at the facility.
'That's what started this. He gathered people because he said it looks suspicious,' he said.
ICE trucks were then pelted with rocks and multiple cars were burned after gates to the facility were opened, Mr Spicer added.
'So to be clear, when people talk about the issue escalating, these individuals literally went to work. They went into their office and got into their cars and that's what precipitated all of this,' he said.
'There was no action, there was no raid, there was not roundup. They literally went into the office and a Democratic assemblyman from California got people all fired up because he assumed because it was a Saturday, something must be going on.
'He summoned a mob and the unleashed them, and then they threw rocks and lit cars on fire."
US President Donald Trump on Monday ordered for 2,000 California National Guard troops to be deployed to the LA, declaring in a post on his social media platform Truth Social that the city had been 'invaded and occupied by Illegal Aliens and Criminals'.
'Violent, insurrectionist mobs are swarming and attacking our Federal Agents to try and stop our deportation operations — But these lawless riots only strengthen our resolve,' the president stated.
Mr Spicer, who served as White House press secretary under Trump in 2017, pointed to the fact the protests were targeted at US federal agents.
'Donald Trump doesn't just have a responsibility. In fact, he has an obligation to protect federal agents and federal property,' Mr Spicer said.
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