Senator Cory Booker is under fire after labeling the violent anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles as “peaceful protests,” despite overwhelming evidence showing federal officers under siege from organized mobs hurling rocks, concrete blocks, and Molotov cocktails.
Appearing on a weekend political show, Booker downplayed the chaos, suggesting the unrest was rooted in “community frustration” and “nonviolent civil disobedience.” But the reality on the ground told a very different story—ICE staging areas in Paramount and downtown L.A. were overwhelmed as protesters torched vehicles, assaulted officers, and blocked immigration enforcement efforts with barricades.
Senator @CoryBooker thinks the anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles — in which criminal illegals and violent mobs are hurling concrete projectiles at vehicles, lighting fires, and attacking federal law enforcement — are “peaceful.” pic.twitter.com/zdshuTeJdP
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 8, 2025
Footage from the riots shows federal agents dodging debris and responding with tear gas, flash-bangs, and non-lethal rounds as crowds turned increasingly aggressive. Over 100 people were arrested within two days, with several facing felony charges for assault and destruction of federal property.
White House officials didn’t hold back. A spokesperson called Booker’s remarks “an insult to every federal officer who stood on the frontlines defending the law.” FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, speaking from the region, added: “You don’t get to throw bricks at ICE agents and call it peaceful. That’s not protest—it’s criminal.”
Republican lawmakers also joined the pushback. Senator Markwayne Mullin slammed the remarks as “dangerous whitewashing of criminal activity,” while Congressman Tony Gonzales praised President Trump’s swift decision to deploy the National Guard, calling it a “decisive act to end domestic anarchy.”
Booker, meanwhile, criticized Trump’s use of federal authority, claiming it “only makes things worse.” But that criticism rang hollow for many Americans watching federal law enforcement come under attack while local officials stood down.
The deeper issue isn’t just political spin—it’s the growing divide over what constitutes a protest versus a riot. As federal forces work to restore order, one thing is clear: there’s no room for moral confusion when law enforcement is being assaulted on American soil.
If elected leaders can’t tell the difference between a protest and a riot, they have no business lecturing the rest of the country on public safety.