'I have a kid!' Anti-ICE protester mocks mother for trying to go to work amid protests



Protesters blocked roadways in New York City this week in an apparent attempt to disrupt daily life for citizens and bring awareness to their anti-immigration enforcement messaging.

Activists blocked traffic in response to ongoing raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in major cities, where agents have continually apprehended illegal aliens. Signs at the protest included, "No one is illegal except Trump," and "F**k ICE," for example.

According to the New York Post, at least 80 demonstrators were arrested on Tuesday night as protests spiraled out of control and activists refused to disperse.

'These people are having their children taken away.'

A male and female protester were captured in one video on Tuesday morning, standing in front of four lanes of backed-up cars using a bicycle to shield themselves. A second woman is seen trying to reason with the activists, asking them to move so she can get to work in order to care for her child.

"I have a kid!" the woman pleaded.

The short-haired female protester then replied, "I know, and these people are having their children taken away."

The mother did not see that as a valid reason to block citizens and asked, "What about my kid?"

"I can't help you," the female protester declared.

RELATED: It’s not a riot, it’s an invasion

Photo by Adam Gray/Getty Images

The pair of protesters represented an ongoing issue with activists believing their cause is worthy of disruptions in city centers; in particular, the New York protesters argued that their protest was a valid and peaceful demonstration. The mother retorted that it is not peaceful to block traffic.

In an attempt to play their own politics against them, Turning Point USA reporter Savanah Hernandez — who filmed the video — asked the protesters:

"How do y'all as white people feel about stopping a black woman from going to work?"

"Oh no, not work," the male protester said sarcastically. "I care so much," he joked, mocking the mother to her face.

A masked woman soon appeared to confront the mother, who continued to complain about the protesters blocking the road.

RELATED: Are Californians finally fed up enough to do the impossible?

A line of NYPD officers pushes back a group of demonstrators trying to block an ICE transport van during a protest outside 26 Federal Plaza in New York USA on June 7, 2025. Photo by MADISON SWART/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images

The masked woman was later identified by Hernandez and reporter Andy Ngo as a "morbidly obese reporter" named Talia Jane Ben-Ora.

Ben-Ora posted her own video that evening, labeling Hernandez a "far-right provocateur" who was "following the march and riling people up" as the demonstration moved through Manhattan.

The masked reporter then claimed Hernandez's reporting was "propaganda" as traffic was allegedly stopped for only five minutes.

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Republican Looks To Dismantle 'Eyesore' White House Peace Vigil

A GOP lawmaker is demanding the Department of the Interior take action against the White House Peace Vigil, an encampment encased in tarps that's been pitched across from the White House since 1981 and is believed to be the longest-running continuous protest in U.S. history. It was originally set up to raise awareness about nuclear proliferation but has adopted a litany of far-left causes over the years.

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Kennedy Center slams activist performers boycotting Trump: 'Vapid and intolerant'



Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell said performers boycotting President Donald Trump "won't be welcomed" to the venue.

Grenell's comments came after cast members of "Les Misérables" announced they will be boycotting Trump's appearance next month. Grenell pushed back at these performers, calling them "vapid and intolerant artists" who lack professionalism.

'The Kennedy Center wants to be a place where people of all political stripes sit next to each other and never ask who someone voted for but instead enjoys a performance together.'

"Any performer who isn't professional enough to perform to patrons of all backgrounds, regardless of political affiliation, won't be welcomed," Grenell said in a statement.

"In fact, we think it would be important to out those vapid and intolerant artists to ensure producers know who they shouldn’t hire — and that the public knows which shows have political litmus tests to sit in the audience," Grenell added.

The cast of "Les Misérables" has not been the only prominent Trump critic in the theater. Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator and star of the hit musical "Hamilton,"also said he was going to cancel his performances at the Kennedy Center.

“The Kennedy Center was not created in this spirit, and we’re not going to be a part of it while it is the Trump Kennedy Center" Miranda said. "We're just not going to be a part of it."

Grenell maintained that the Kennedy Center is an apolitical venue and that anyone who fails to treat it as such is unwelcome.

"The Kennedy Center wants to be a place where people of all political stripes sit next to each other and never ask who someone voted for but instead enjoys a performance together," Grenell said.

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Hogg-Tied: DNC Orders Youth Activist To Stop Attacking Incumbents or Resign as Vice Chair

The Democratic National Committee is planning to give activist David Hogg an ultimatum: Abandon his plan to fund primary challengers against Democratic incumbents or resign as DNC vice chair.

The post Hogg-Tied: DNC Orders Youth Activist To Stop Attacking Incumbents or Resign as Vice Chair appeared first on .

DNC Vice Chair David Hogg Plots $20M Campaign To Take Down His Party's 'Asleep-at-the-Wheel' Incumbents

Activist David Hogg is taking aim at his own party's incumbents—pledging $20 million to back younger, more left-wing challengers in next year's primaries—while he is still serving as a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee.

The post DNC Vice Chair David Hogg Plots $20M Campaign To Take Down His Party's 'Asleep-at-the-Wheel' Incumbents appeared first on .

'He's a man!' Woman screams at man in women's fencing tournament as officials claim 'there's nothing to oppose'



Chaos erupted as several women protested the inclusion of a male athlete in a female fencing tournament over the weekend.

The male athlete in question is Annika Rose Suchoski, who made headlines in 2024 after coming in second in a women's fencing tournament despite only being in the sport for six months, the Daily Mail reported.

Suchoski reportedly towered over his competition at the Fortune Fencing Regional Championships last year, and therefore it came as no surprise that activists in California were ready to call out the six-foot athlete. Online posts ahead of the Women's Epee Foil noted that Suchoski was set to take part in the 40-49 women's division; Suchoski is reportedly 40 years old.

'[It] has nothing to do with the biological reality of sex.'

A video from the event at the Los Angeles Convention Center showed at least one woman was incredibly vocal about the ordeal but was quickly met with an onslaught of justification from staff members. A male staff member explained to the woman, "According to the rules of USA Fencing, this athlete is perfectly within the line, they are perfectly, legally here, within the rules of USA Fencing."

The woman then asked, "But why don't you oppose that as a man, standing up for women?"

"There's nothing to oppose, there's nothing wrong —" the man replied, before the woman began yelling.

"There's a man. ... There's a man fencing as a woman!"

"There is not," another man stated as he came into frame. "Please stop," the man said, but the woman continued to yell.

"He's a man!" she repeated.

"That is incorrect, ma'am," the second man insisted.

In a subsequent video, a female staff member said the policy in place was not meant to reflect biology, but rather operates under the "societal concept of gender."

"[It] has nothing to do with the biological reality of sex," she noted.

The staffer soon became enraged and encroached on the protester and asked if she wanted to "grab a handful" of her genitals in order to prove her sex or gender.

Other men, including one who claimed to be the female staffer's husband, attempted to intimidate the protester, while another remarked, "It's a shame you have so much shame in your heart."

Several men labeled the protester as unattractive and said she was disrupting or harming other athletes in the tournament.

Simultaneously, attendees and even competitors at the event attempted to block out a woman's sign that read, "Rosa sat, women stand[.] No men in women's sports."

Recently, a female fencer staged a protest when she refused to compete against a man at a women's tournament in Maryland. This inspired Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who sent a letter to USA Fencing, the governing body of the sport in the United States. Cruz asked how many fencing matches women have had against men under USA Fencing's governance and if any injuries had occurred in those matches.

Cruz noted that in order to retain its recognition as a national governing body, USA Fencing would have to comply with Olympic and federal standards, which included President Trump's executive order that requires women's competitions to be female-only.

USA Fencing told Blaze News its policy from 2023 justified the inclusion of male athletes in the women's category.

"The policy was designed to expand access to the sport of fencing and create inclusive, safe spaces," said Nicole Kirk, USA Fencing's communications coordinator. "The policy is based on the principle that everyone should have the ability to participate in sports and was based upon the research available of the day."

The organization will always "err on the side of inclusion," the spokeswoman added.

USA Fencing did not respond to an additional query regarding whether or not the organization would be changing its policy to reflect President Trump's executive order.

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Blaze News original: LA sheriff threw deputy to federal wolves to appease liberal mob, union rep says



As Blaze News reported last week, a Los Angeles County deputy with a stellar record is staring down hard time in federal prison after a suspect accused him of using excessive force during a 2023 arrest. Evidence now indicates that L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna may have prompted a federal investigation into the incident, leaving deputies and other personnel feeling betrayed.

Blaze News caught up with the deputy's attorney, Tom Yu, as well as a spokesman for the Los Angeles Sheriff's Professional Association, Nick Wilson, to better understand the prevailing sentiment among L.A. County deputies about this case and to learn why they hope Deputy Trevor Kirk may yet avoid time behind bars.

'Safely handcuff the suspect': Deputy Kirk and a fateful detainment

On June 24, 2023, Deputy Trevor Kirk and another deputy drove to the WinCo supermarket in Lancaster, California, in response to a report of a possible robbery in progress involving a man and a woman. A source affiliated with LASPA told Blaze News that the woman had been "caught in the act."

When loss prevention officers confronted the suspects in the case — Damon Barnes and Jacy Houseton — the suspects allegedly assaulted the officers. According to reports, Houseton even pulled down her face mask and spat on one of security guards.

Kirk and the other deputy encountered Barnes and Houseton in the parking lot outside the store, identifying them as individuals who matched the suspects' description.

Though Barnes ran his mouth a bit, he was otherwise detained without incident. Houseton was a different story.

'She took a swing at him, backed off, and then continued to actively resist arrest.'

While deputies placed Barnes in handcuffs, Houseton stood nearby filming with her cell phone. Having already identified her as the other suspect in the alleged robbery and possible assault, Kirk then reached for her cell phone.

After a brief scuffle, Kirk brought Houseton to the ground, at which point she began accusing him of "manhandling" her. She also repeatedly threatened to sue Kirk and hollered phrases often associated with George Floyd and Eric Garner, who both died during encounters with law enforcement: "Get your neck [sic] off my … off my … I can’t breathe."

Houseton continued to yell and flail about. She also appeared to disobey orders to put her hands behind her back, so Kirk pepper-sprayed her in the face on two separate occasions.

Houseton later received treatment for injuries.

Bodycam video of the incident can be seen below:

— (@)

A summary of the incident from the Department of Justice painted a grim picture of Kirk's actions. "Kirk grabbed J.H. by her arm, hooked his left hand behind her neck, and violently threw her face-first to the ground," it said. It also accused him of pressing his knee into Houseton's neck and failing to issue her the proper commands.

In February, Kirk, a 32-year-old Army veteran and father of two, was convicted by a federal jury of one felony count of deprivation of rights under color of law, an offense that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. According to court records, it took jurors just two hours to render their verdict.

In reporting on Kirk's conviction, KCAL described the incident as a "vicious assault" involving a "disgraced deputy."

Attorney Tom Yu and LASPA representative Nick Wilson are frustrated with the way the incident has been framed by federal investigators and critics.

For one thing, by all accounts, Kirk has an "outstanding" record, Yu said. Kirk is well liked in the department and has no other allegations of misconduct against him or any poor performance reviews.

With regard to the incident with Houseton, Wilson told Blaze News that Kirk used only "minimal force" that qualified as a low-level, "category 1" use of force, as listed in the policies of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department.

Wilson also claimed that Houseton had been "resistive" and "violent" during the encounter with Kirk. "She took a swing at Trevor Kirk when he first went to detain her and put hands on," he said. "She took a swing at him, backed off, and then continued to actively resist arrest."

"Deputies are trained to take suspects who resist to the ground in order to gain compliance and to safely handcuff the suspect," Yu said in a statement in the days following the incident.

What's more, both Barnes and Houseton have a criminal history. Barnes has a string of arrests dating back to 1987, including convictions for arson, weapons and drug offenses, and resisting an officer. He was also accused of robbery in 1995. Houseton was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon in 2005 but had that conviction effectively dismissed from her record three years later, presumably after satisfying the terms of her probation.

To be fair, Yu noted, Kirk did not know about those prior convictions when he met the pair in the parking lot that day. However, Kirk also did not know whether they were armed, though it turns out they were not.

Neither Barnes nor Houseton was ever charged in connection with the alleged robbery of the WinCo store, which KCAL-TV later downplayed as merely a possible "shoplifting," or the alleged assault on the loss prevention officers.

Houseton did follow through on her promise to sue the department and was reportedly awarded $1 million. At a press conference about the lawsuit, Houseton claimed Kirk "tried to kill" her and implied that the excessive force was racially motivated.

Her attorney, Caree Harper, added, "It doesn't happen to white folks like this, and we're not gonna have it happening to black folks like this."

WinCo did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

'Hanging deputies out to dry': Sheriff Luna gets involved

An internal affairs investigation was initiated almost immediately following the detainment at WinCo, and the fallout might have been kept in house but for one problem: Video of the encounter between Kirk and Houseton had already been made public. Activist groups — including Cancel the Contract Antelope Valley, a far-left "social justice" organization — quickly planned demonstrations denouncing what they viewed as another racially charged instance of police brutality.

"As black residents of this community, we are tired of living in fear of the police," said group co-founder Waunette Cullors.

'The sheriff buckled under political pressure.'

About a week after the incident, Sheriff Robert Luna addressed the controversy publicly, describing the video footage as "disturbing." "It's disturbing. There's no ifs, ands, buts about it," he said at a press conference.

Wilson believes that in the summer of 2023 — a time when BLM riots and "defund the police" movements continued to reverberate three years after George Floyd's death — Luna was sensitive to external pressure. "After this use of force, the civil rights community, the activist movements raised hell within the sheriff's department," Wilson told Blaze News.

Even though Kirk was reportedly "cleared at a station level," Luna decided to invite federal agencies to investigate Kirk's actions as well, Wilson claimed.

"The sheriff buckled under political pressure and made sure that this case was handed over to the DOJ for prosecution," Wilson continued, thereby "hanging deputies out to dry."

Both Wilson and Yu told Blaze News they were "certain" that Luna's office initiated federal involvement, though Luna denies it.

In a statement to Blaze News, Deputy Miesha McClendon of the Sheriff's Information Bureau claimed, "Despite allegations to the contrary, this case was not referred to the FBI nor the U.S Attorney’s Office by anyone within the Department as indicated in the official court transcript."

McClendon also added:

The Department recognizes that having one of our employees convicted by a federal jury is a significant matter, and we understand the frustration it has caused among our personnel. ... The Department will be conducting a thorough review of the case to identify any specific issues to determine if modifications to training are needed.

Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

L.A. deputies were so outraged at the treatment of one of their own — a colleague some believe was "politically" persecuted after simply following department protocol — that upon Kirk's conviction in February, Luna held a private meeting with personnel from the Lancaster sheriff's station.

During that two-hour meeting, which was secretly recorded, Luna expressed regret for characterizing the footage as "disturbing."

He also suggested that he had nothing to do with contacting the feds about the incident. "I can tell you this with confidence that what I said that day," Luna appeared to say, referring to his "disturbing" remark, "did not have anything to do with the FBI.

"The FBI received this case from the plaintiff's attorney," Luna explained. The "plaintiff" in this case was presumably Houseton, who filed a lawsuit.

During the clips of the conversation reviewed by Blaze News, the voice identified as Luna's admits to having "failed" his team members. He also indicates that he had not personally reviewed the incident footage, which others in the room characterize as "innocuous" and not too "grievous."

Deputies also repeatedly ask Luna to use the power of his office to stand with Kirk and publicly oppose his conviction. Luna promised he would consider it.

Luna's history with law enforcement in general is rather mixed, even though he has spent his entire career as a cop, first with the Long Beach Police Department and now as the head of the largest sheriff's department in America.

Though Luna wanted to be a police officer from the time he was little, he indicated to the L.A. Times that he grew up in a community that was generally distrustful of law enforcement.

Luna also recalled to the Times an incident in which he was apparently the victim of unnecessary police aggression. "At age 13, he said, he was slammed face-first against the hood of a sheriff’s deputy’s car for crossing against a red light on his bicycle," the outlet summarized for a profile piece in October 2022, shortly before Luna was elected sheriff.

Luna also campaigned for sheriff on the promise of breaking up so-called "deputy gangs." While he has since managed to ban such gangs, he has yet to name a single deputy gang member, Wilson told Blaze News.

Additionally, Luna has a track record of handling possible instances of excessive force within his department.

During one of the occasionally violent demonstrations in the wake of George Floyd's death, an officer with the Long Beach Police Department shot a journalist with a "foam projectile," the LAist reported in 2020. LBPD — then helmed by Police Chief Luna — ultimately determined that the shooting "was within policy," the outlet said.

'To show unity': Deputies make their voices heard

The deputies of L.A. County have not taken the conviction of Kirk or Luna's alleged capitulation to leftist pressure lying down.

For example, a handful, including a sergeant, have reportedly refused to accept medals and other accolades awarded by the department. They even "refused to actually go to the awards ceremony," Wilson insisted.

'The magnitude of this boycott ... makes Luna look terrible in the law enforcement community nationwide.'

In a more widespread show of solidarity with Kirk, hundreds of L.A. deputies and other staff members have decided to boycott one of their favorite annual events: the Baker to Vegas relay. While the L.A. Sheriff's Department regularly fields two dozen or so relay teams, this year, at least 20 sheriff's stations — including Santa Clarita, West Hollywood, two detention centers, the Training Bureau, and, of course, Kirk's home station in Lancaster — are refusing to participate.

Protesting the Baker to Vegas relay is no minor demonstration. Billed as "the world’s most prestigious and unique law enforcement foot race," the event draws teams from across the country and across the globe.

"There's folks flying in from Brazil. There's folks from Australia, from Germany," Yu told Blaze News. "This is a big thing."

Yu would know. Now an attorney, Yu spent 15 years as a deputy with the LASD. The deputies who race are very "competitive," he said, often averaging five and a half minutes per mile.

"I tried out for a county-wide team," Yu recalled. "I ran a six-minute mile, and I did not make the team."

"It's to show unity," Yu explained. "It's to run for your fallen brothers and sisters, for mental health. There's a lot of suicides in law enforcement, so it's a huge race."

Wilson confirmed to Blaze News that Sheriff Luna has participated in the event and understands its importance to department staff.

"The magnitude of this boycott ... makes Luna look terrible in the law enforcement community nationwide," Wilson said.

"To have the deputies not show up, it makes Luna look terrible."

This year, the Baker to Vegas race is scheduled for April 5 and 6. Instead, many L.A. deputies are opting to participate in a 5K race to raise money for Kirk and his family.

While Yu and Wilson are expecting a good turnout for the alternative race, they claimed that Luna may be trying to spoil or otherwise interfere with the event by attempting to ascertain the individuals orchestrating it.

Wilson shared with Blaze News a screenshot of one such message, allegedly from a Luna ally:

Screenshot shared with Blaze News. Used with permission.

Yu and Wilson believe the purpose behind these probing questions is to intimidate would-be participants and convince them not to join the Kirk race.

"We've had multiple deputies tell us and send us screenshots of friend requests and questions from Luna's staff asking who's boycotting, who is drumming this up, and applying pressure to deputies ... as a form of retaliation," Wilson said.

In the statement given to Blaze News, Officer McClendon of the information bureau addressed the accusations of intimidation:

The Department issued an internal global email on March 5, 2025, to personnel after it had received several reports from personnel who have stated they have been targeted with actions of harassment, threats of retaliation, and bullying related to participating in the Baker to Vegas race. We want to emphasize that whether or not personnel choose to participate, any form of harassment, retaliation, or misconduct will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

'No-brainer': Trump, Dhillon, and righting a wrong

Despite what Wilson calls the "cloud" hanging over the department, he, Yu, and others hold out hope that Kirk can still avoid prison time.

The clearest way for him to do so would be for the judge, a long-serving Reagan appointee, to vacate the verdict. While such an outcome may sound like a long shot, there are encouraging signs. For example, following the guilty verdict, the judge did not remand Kirk to custody, a decision which Yu described as "very rare."

'They were laughing, smiling, high-fiving each other, giving each other hugs.'

Moreover, the federal investigation into Kirk and his federal prosecution began under the Biden administration. During the trial, Wilson and Yu claimed that in a show of force, federal agencies packed the courtroom with young agency newcomers who enthusiastically supported the prosecution.

After the guilty verdict was announced, these agency supporters cheered loudly, Wilson claimed. "They were laughing, smiling, high-fiving each other, giving each other hugs," he said. "It was shocking."

With President Trump now in office, the DOJ has new leadership who may view the prosecution of Kirk in a different light. One individual with some influence in the Trump administration with strong ties to California is Harmeet Dhillon, now the assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division of the DOJ. Wilson, Yu, and others are hoping she will intervene on Kirk's behalf.

Dhillon's office and the DOJ did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

While Dhillon is aware of Kirk's case, she likely does not know "the extent of the miscarriage of justice," Yu said. Wilson believes that if the right people in the administration get wind of Kirk's situation, they will act.

"If they understood the extent of this, this would be a no-brainer," he said.

"It's just getting the information to them."

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Progressive Primary Challengers Snub Hakeem Jeffries for Speaker as Dem Infighting Escalates

Left-wing Democratic primary challengers are refusing to back House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.) for speaker, as grassroots Democrats have started turning on their party's leaders.

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