No Kings protest: Los Angeles-San Diego I-5 interstate closed due to Vice President JD Vance event on No Kings Protest day
“The president is putting his own ego in charge by ignoring public safety,” California Governor Gavin Newsom said. “Firing live ammunition on a busy highway is not only wrong, it is dangerous,” he said.
On Saturday, AFP journalists traveling along the interstate that runs from the Canadian border to the Mexican border saw signs that read: “Live guns on the highway.”
In a statement, the Marine Corps insisted that the munitions, which it said would “demonstrate the strength and unity of the Navy-Marine Corps team … ensure we remain ready to defend the Homeland and our Nation’s interests abroad,” would not pose any risk to the public.
“Artillery pieces have historically been fired during routine training from ground artillery firing points west of I-5 to engagement areas east of the interstate, within existing safety protocols and without the need to close the route,” the statement said.
Saturday’s “No to Kings” rallies are being held to protest what participants see as excessive interference from the Trump government. “Using our military to intimidate people you disagree with is not forceful; it is reckless, disrespectful, and unbecoming of the office he holds,” Newsom said. The dispute is the latest between liberal California and the White House involving the military.
In June, Los Angeles became the first of many cities to which Trump sent National Guard troops following unruly protests over immigration crackdowns.
The deployment, which included hundreds of Marines, was criticized by local officials, including Newsom, as harsh and unnecessary. They insisted that relatively small demonstrations could be easily handled by city and state law enforcement.
