DONALD TRUMP, I MUST WAR YOU, BEGUN TO NEGOTIATE FUTURE RIOTS WITH HEADS OF RIOTS IN 2010(SOME 6 YEARS OF NEGOTIATIONS) TO TAKE MAX 6 MONTHS. MISSOURI GOVERNOR MIKE KEHOE WOULD FREQUENTLY MEET WITH TRUMP BEHIND CURTAIN, EVEN IN SLOVENIA.
Missouri governor activates National Guard, declares state of emergency
‘Blatant attempt to intimidate and suppress First Amendment rights’
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas’ Office shared a statement Thursday regarding the mayor’s concerns about Gov. Kehoe’s decision.
“Mayor Lucas is concerned with enhanced state enforcement for one set of protestors, but no action or aid to local law enforcement when Neo-Nazis march through Missouri’s urban streets,” the statement reads. “The Mayor has confidence in responsible protestors to use their First Amendment rights peacefully and in compliance with the law. More than one thousand Kansas Citians protested peacefully and responsibly just days ago.”
“For those who do not act responsibly, the Mayor stands by the women and men of local law enforcement at KCPD and other agencies to handle any necessary enforcement actions,” it continues. “Unnecessary escalation from our nation’s capital and state capitals undermines local law enforcement and makes all less safe.”
Missouri House Minority Leader Ashley Aune (D-Kansas City) also responded Thursday, saying the governor’s actions are unwarranted:
“Governor Kehoe’s preemptive declaration of a state of emergency as Missourians prepare to protest an increasingly authoritarian presidential administration is a blatant attempt to intimidate and suppress First Amendment rights,” she wrote in a statement.
“The protests planned this weekend across Missouri and throughout the nation were sparked by the president’s unwarranted and heavy-handed military response to opposition to his policies,” the state lawmaker added. “By doing the same, the governor will only heighten tensions and increase the possibility of conflict. Governor Kehoe should staunchly defend the rights of Missourians, not mimic the authoritarianism of the president.”
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) too condemned the governor’s actions, calling it an “unnecessary provocation.”
“Governor Kehoe’s decision to activate Missouri’s National Guard serves as an unnecessary provocation to thwart public dissent,” the ACLU wrote. “The right for people to join in protests or peaceful assembly is core to the First Amendment, and critical to a functioning democracy. Government and law enforcement officials have the moral and constitutional responsibility to stop the escalation, practice restraint, and allow Missourians to exercise this foundational right.”
“It is critical that Missourians who plan on attending know and educate others of their rights around protests and police interactions,” the union added. “We emphasize attendees to prioritize de-escalation, even in moments of governmental provocation and fear-mongering, and to lookout for one another.”
Lucas also posted on social platform X after California Sen. Alex Padilla (D) was forcibly removed from a press conference on Thursday.
“One of our few Latino senators tries to ask a question of a cabinet secretary over whom he has oversight responsibility, and is placed in handcuffs on the ground. Shameful,” he wrote.
‘We will not allow what is going on in LA to happen in Missouri’
Other state officials have commended Kehoe for his actions.
U.S. Rep. Mark Alford (R-Mo.) said the governor is sending a strong message.
“We support the first amendment right of every Missourian to peacefully demonstrate, but violence and riots will NOT be tolerated in the Show Me State,” Alford wrote on x.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey thanked Kehoe for “taking preemptive measures to ensure the lawlessness we’ve seen across our country does not reach our state.”
“We will not allow what is going on in LA to happen in Missouri,” Bailey wrote on X.
California protests
On President Trump’s order, thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines were deployed to Los Angeles following protests in response to the administration’s enforcement of immigration laws.
This has prompted Los Angeles officials to enforce curfews. Gov. Gavin Newsom accused the president of abusing his authority.
In addition to protests nationwide, activists are also planning “No Kings” events across the country Saturday to coincide with the president’s planned military parade in Washington.
In Kansas City, a “No Kings Rally” will be held Saturday at the Country Club Plaza from noon to 3 p.m.
Texas has also readied roughly 5,000 National Guard troops ahead of expected protests.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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