Turin, 16 July (LaPresse) – The Trump administration has decided to reduce the number of National Guard troops in the Los Angeles area by 2,000. The troops had been sent in response to protests against immigration enforcement operations. ‘Thanks to our troops who answered the call, lawlessness in Los Angeles is decreasing,’ Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement. The decision comes after Trump sent 2,000 National Guard members on 7 June, followed by another 2,000 a few days later. The National Guard has now been deployed for over a month, although it is unclear how many members have been added or withdrawn over time. Protests have occurred in various parts of Los Angeles County, but have been concentrated mainly in the central areas of the city. California Governor Gavin Newsom reacted to the announcement by calling on Trump and the Department of Defence to ‘send everyone home immediately.’ ‘For over a month,’ he said in a statement, ‘the National Guard has been away from their families, communities and civilian jobs to be used as a political pawn by the President in Los Angeles. As nearly 2,000 begin to demobilise, the remaining Guard members continue without a mission, without direction and without any hope of returning to help their communities.’ Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass welcomed the reduction in National Guard forces, calling it a ‘retreat’ that came about because ‘the people of Los Angeles remained united and determined.’
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