Louisville protesters rally against ICE enforcement, National Guard deployment to Los Angeles

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Two protests unfolded in downtown Louisville on Monday afternoon organized by a group to voice opposition to U.S. immigration policies and recent federal actions in California.

The first demonstration began around 3:30 p.m. outside the Mazzoli Federal Building on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Place between South 6th and South 7th streets in downtown Louisville. The second protest followed shortly after in front of Louisville Metro Hall on West Jefferson Street.

While much of the signage and chanting contained language not suitable for broadcast, organizers made it clear: They are angry. Many speeches and chants took direct aim at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the federal government's use of the National Guard in response to protests in California.

"We come together today to reject in totality the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement," one speaker declared to a cheering crowd.

The two-hour protest featured criticism of a wide range of political issues, but the primary focus was immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump. Protesters also raised concerns about the deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles amid recent unrest.

"Some of the things you're reading about in Los Angeles — thank goodness we sent out some wonderful National Guard," Trump said during a news conference Monday. "They've really helped with a lot of problems we're having out there."

But speakers in Louisville painted a different picture during the protests, accusing federal and state officials of bypassing due process and escalating tensions.

"When you just start randomly snatching people ... we have a country of laws," Robert Smith, a representative from the SEIU union, said. "Our president campaigned on law and order. But we've lost due process. We have a Constitution that says we can protest peacefully."

Louisville Metro Councilmember JP Lyninger, D-6, echoed those concerns, noting that while many of the protests across the country began peacefully, heavy-handed responses have caused unnecessary clashes.

"These started out as peaceful protests," Lyninger said. "What we've seen is a pretty typical pattern of escalation by law enforcement pushing these toward a riot."

Over the weekend, President Trump activated 2,000 National Guard troops, a move California Gov. Gavin Newsom called illegal, and is now suing the president over. In addition, Trump activated an additional 2,000 National Guard troops Monday, but only 300 of the 4,000 troops activated have been sent to California.

Trump, meanwhile, blamed what he called "professional agitators" for the violence in California.

"They're insurrectionists," he said. "They're bad people. They should be in jail."

The protests in downtown Los Angeles began Friday after federal immigration authorities arrested more than 40 people across the city. On Sunday, protests escalated — crowds blocked a major freeway and set self-driving cars on fire as police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades.

Unlike the unrest seen on the west coast, the Louisville demonstrations remained peaceful. Hundreds of protesters eventually left Metro Hall and marched roughly 1 mile through downtown.

Multiple local lawmakers contacted by WDRB did not return requests for comment.

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