Fetterman Calls California Protests 'Anarchy' as He Criticizes Democrats

[Polybius]

Source: NY Times

Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania warned fellow Democrats that they could face a political backlash if they were seen as failing to sufficiently condemn acts of violence by protesters in Southern California, which local officials have said were limited.

On Monday, he posted a photo on social media of a car engulfed in flames and a masked, shirtless person waving a Mexican flag. He suggested that Democrats — many of whom have in fact criticized acts of destruction or violence — should go further in denouncing unruly demonstrations.

“This is anarchy and true chaos,” he wrote. “My party loses the moral high ground when we refuse to condemn setting cars on fire, destroying buildings, and assaulting law enforcement.”

Local officials in California have described the violence as limited, under control and exacerbated by President Trump’s decision to federalize the National Guard and deploy troops over the governor’s objection.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/10/us/politics/fetterman-la-protests-anarchy.html

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Link to tweet

Paywall remover:

https://www.archivebuttons.com/articles?article=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/10/us/politics/fetterman-la-protests-anarchy.html

[IcyPeas]

1. Poor fetterman. He's getting his facts twisted. Trump started this!

[Cha]

70. And Why would that be?.. I know he is... so Clear but

this is like the Twilight Zone. Why is he trying to Gaslight Dems!

So Weird!

[BonnieJW]

77. Pennsylvania,

Please get rid of this schmuck.

[Vinca]

2. Fetterman should try to keep up. It's isolated small incidents within a large peaceful protest.

All California is saying is that they don't need the troops and they're turning the place into a police state.

[Basso8vb]

8. Enjoy your stay.

[travelingthrulife]

9. yeah. never mind ICE and NYPD putting people in the hospital. protect the liberty of the car.

My understanding is that these are driverless cars.

[rog]

20. Yes ... interesting TIME magazine article about that linked below in this thread.

n/t

[LauraInLA]

12. The protestors did not do that. The looters in the late afternoon/evening are the ones doing that -- and we

get them whenever our sports teams win a championship. It’s an endemic problem.

[rog]

18. I am NOT condoning property destruction, but you should read this TIME magazine article ...

This is a more complex, and possibly more nuanced, issue than you may think. They were not pulling citizens from cars and setting them on fire.

This is a long article, but it's interesting, and I thought was well worth the read. Here are a few excerpts, which are discussed in much more detail at the link below.

Why Waymo’s Self-Driving Cars Became a Target of Protesters in Los Angeles

Waymo, a robotaxi company, found itself at the center of the demonstrations against the Trump Administration’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids after a group of protesters over the weekend, according to the Los Angeles Times, approached a parked row of the autonomous vehicles and smashed their windows, slashed their tires, spray-painted them with anti-ICE slogans, and set them on fire.

Waymo is a subsidiary of Alphabet, Google’s parent company, and grew out of the Google Self-Driving Car project that began in 2009. It launched its robotaxi business in 2020 in limited markets, which grew to include Los Angeles in 2024.

While the company says its mission “is to be the world’s most trusted driver,” ... Waymo vehicles were involved in 696 accidents across the U.S. between 2021 and 2024, or about one accident every other day.

Waymo has also reportedly annoyed some people, including those who find self-driving vehicles to be an eyesore as well as locals where the vehicles routinely get stuck.

Waymo vehicles as well as other self-driving cars have previously been the target of vandals, particularly in California, where Waymo is headquartered. In January, a Waymo car was torn apart in Los Angeles. In February 2024, another Waymo car was smashed and set ablaze in San Francisco. And in July 2024, a man was charged with slashing the tires of 17 Waymo cars in San Francisco.

Some activists have also suggested that the burning of Waymo vehicles should garner less sympathy from onlookers.

“There are people on here saying it’s violent and domestic terrorism to set a Waymo car on fire,” racial justice organizer Samuel Sinyangwe posted on X. “A robot car? Are you going to demand justice for the robot dogs next? But not the human beings repeatedly shot with rubber bullets in the street? What kind of politics is this?”

Edited to add: Most, if not all, of the other 'fires' I saw on live feeds were just trash cans set on fire. Fire is always dramatic, especially burning cars.

[RedArkGuy]

37. I still don't like it

There are legal and effective ways to oppose the use of Waymo cars that don't involve criminal property destruction and providing an excuse for the Trumpies to militarize the place.

[PatSeg]

40. I agree

And this was certainly very bad timing. It just created a distraction and made the protests look more violent than they actually were. It sounds like perhaps someone(s) hijacked these protests for their own agenda.

[rog]

44. I agree with you (please note my reply title).

I specifically said I did NOT condone destructive acts. So don't shoot the messenger here. I merely submitted what I still think is a very informative and in depth TIME magazine article. I thought it was very interesting reading the backstory on Waymo, and the point is, the protesters are not burning random citizens' cars, as the DU-er implied. Vandalizing Waymo cars appears not to be very far out of the ordinary.

But I agree ... this will be used by trump to characterize an insurrection, which is not good.

Once they get going, mobs are about as smart as their dumbest member.

[quaint]

21. ...some of whom set self-driving Waymo cars on fire...

[brush]

28. Right about what, being rethug posing as a Democrat?

[Dave Bowman]

29. I hate to admit it, but... He's wrong and so are you.

[Nonnia Bisnez]

32. I don't agree.

But I support you expressing your opinion and sharing why you believe it. Your previous posts doesn't show you as a right wing troll. Some on this forum want to santion anyone who challenges the conventional wisdom.

[Basso8vb]

35. Enjoy your stay as well.

[Prof. Toru Tanaka]

75. BFD

You’ll just get blocked, like I just did to you.

[RedArkGuy]

36. The problem is this.

His tweet/Xscretion makes it seem as though the entire protest is an act of destruction. That's no better than when his friends who support Trump call the protests a "riot." He makes no distinction between the vast majority of peaceful protesters and these few loons--many of which may be in the pay of the Republicans--destroying property and waving the Mexican flat.

In effect, this tweet/Xscretion is support for the Trump narrative.

[chowder66]

41. Respectfully, people here hate these agitators that pull this bullshit but it happens during major protests.

It sucks... but no one condones it. Protest leaders, government leaders, neighborhood leaders, law enforcement and citizens always plead for no violence and they always condemn it when it happens.

It may have never escalated to this level without ICE ripping people out of their places of business and grabbing anyone with melanin. Mix in the National Guard and voila, you have a bigger protest with easier cover for agitators and fringe elements.

Fetterman should have said what countless others have already said before him and that it is wrong and illegal for Trump to intervene and peaceful protests should continue without violence.

[VanceFan]

45. Take off

Eff off is my response.

[Marthe48]

4. Which was the real john fetterman?

The one who ran for election, or the rwnj?

[Nonnia Bisnez]

39. I think the stroke affected his critical thinking skills.

A lot of his communications shows concrete thinking rather than nuanced abstract thinking. Just speculation on my part for the apparent change in his opinions.

[SheltieLover]

52. Good question!

[chelsea0011]

5. And just who is failing

to speak out against violence? I haven’t heard one Democrat saying to burn it all down. This the kind of crap that Fetterman has been saying for too long,

[brush]

30. Agreed, he needs to self-deport himself to the rethug party already and stop posing as a Democrat.

[truthisfreedom]

6. Yes, Fetterman. It's t****'s anarchy and chaos.

Tell it like it really is. Our so-called president is singling out one race for persecution while 660,000 white European illegal immigrants are being ignored. And he’s bringing in troops to exacerbate an overwhelmingly non-violent situation that LA cops otherwise have under control. Tell it like it really is, John. Stop painting it with a republican brush.

[chia]

7. He's lost the high moral ground by misrepresenting his party.

Sen. Alex Padilla, (D) CA: "Protest peacefully but please keep protesting"

[LauraInLA]

10. Is there a process for removing a sitting Senator is PA?

[Polybius]

25. There are no recalls for US Senators

We would have to wait till he's up for reelection to primary him.

[rpannier]

63. Only if Satan calls him home

[Basso8vb]

11. I will donate to whomever primaries this lost soul.

He needs not be near the levers of power any longer.

[Owens]

13. He needs to resign

He has no clue what is going on. His silence on Trump illegally calling the National Guard is telling

[Silent Type]

14. Won't go that far. But, it is important for Democratic Mayor and Governor handle LA properly. Think they are doing that.

[wolfie001]

15. He just needs to hold onto that job

The benefits are so great. Best healthcare in the world. Stopped caring about anyone else though. How convenient.

[JCMach1]

16. Don't forget ya'll wanted him to work...

[PortTack]

17. Even his own staff question his stability

[regnaD kciN]

19. So, was it the stroke, or was he just cosplaying progressivism to gain power...?

I see he’s also been denouncing NPR as “far left” propaganda and calling on Trump to “bomb the sh*t” out of Iran.

Unlike the Trumpers who turned repentant once their own faces got eaten, this is definitely not what we voted for.

[Nigrum Cattus]

22. who did any of this ?

Remember they always project. The repugs claimed that
Jan6 was started by antifa, total lie, but shows how they think.

[groundloop]

23. Sadly the anarchists are lumped in with peaceful protesters by the media ....

and that's playing into tRump's hands. People look right past the peaceful protests and all they see are the very worst of the troublemakers.

[Paladin]

24. Just fucking LEAVE, Fetterman.

Immediately.

[Autumn]

26. I have more respect for Manchin than I have for this guy.

[Jirel]

27. And?

We know he has become a DINO like Sinema and Manchin. Primary him, and be done.

[GB_RN]

31. Re: Fetterman

I think what we are witnessing isn’t so much that he’s trying to suck up to Cantaloupe Caligula the Corpulent or triangulate his way to reelection, rather I think this is a result of personality changes that are related to his stroke. You’re probably used to seeing this kind of thing with dementia patients as the disease progresses, but it’s not uncommon in stroke patients, depending on where the lesions (damaged tissue) are located.

[et tu]

33. yes i feel sorry

for him and his family but
he will never get my vote again

[delisen]

67. Yes, I think the anarchy is inside Fetterman's brain.

It is a sad situation.

[Mawspam2]

34. He won't even show up to committee meetings or floor votes.

Just resign already.

[chowder66]

42. Ha! Great bsky post

Weird. Bluesky post won't post!

It says from @contrails.bsky.social‬

99.9% of L.A. is just fine.
99.9% of Fetterman is not fine.

[annielion]

43. He's not the same man since his stroke

I wish Senator Fetterman would resign. But he probably won't. His reality has changed as his brain changed after his stroke.

[kimbutgar]

46. F him he needs to resign or became a repuke !

[Tarzanrock]

47. Fetterman: Release your brain scans ...

release the MRI scans of your brain; release the PET scans of your brain; release the reports on the analysis of your spinal fluids. Let's see precisely what your existing "medical" problems are in your head.

[dchill]

48. It is FETTERMAN who loses the moral high ground...

...by failing to recognize the reason behind the protests is multiple violations of our Constitution by our so-called President.

[Butterflylady]

49. He has got to go........

Isn't what we voted for.....

[relayerbob]

50. I am so sorry I ever donated to that campaign

He has gone completely off the rail. Making Manchin look like a left wing radical. So disgusted.

[JustAnotherGen]

51. If he continues

To stress himself like this - he's going to have another stroke.

[johnnyfins]

53. Yeah, I'm done with this clown

Harry Potter Mountain Trolls shouldnt be in the Senate...

[kacekwl]

54. Everyone has

condemned this behavior in case you missed it. Get help Senator you aren't right.

[msfiddlestix]

55. What an astounding mistake we made throwing our collective support for this pathetic and mentally confused individual.

so sad. the best way to handle him is to ignore him at this juncture, hopefully someone close to him will fill him in on his rapid mental decline and break it to him gently, or not.

[mdbl]

56. Ever wonder who Fetterman is trying to impress lately?

It sure isn't me.

[LPBBEAR]

57. Dump this ahole

That is all.

[AverageOldGuy]

58. Fetterman suffered a stroke . . .

. . . or at least that's his excuse.

[hay rick]

59. Ugh. nt

[Orrex]

60. I wish him the best of health as he continues to recover from his stroke

[hamsterjill]

61. Let him call up Joe Manchin and commiserate.

Let the rest of the Democrats get on with things, Fetterman. Your moment is (obviously) over.

[Bread and Circuses]

62. Fetterman showing us his Truth. Believe him.

[PennRalphie]

64. A candidate further left than Fetterman

Has exactly zero chance of winning in PA.

[BigmanPigman]

65. Wow, that stroke must have killed 90% of his brain cells.

Does he ever plan on running again? I hope if he does it is not with Dems. This idiot is a hot mess, and I'm being kind.

[gopiscrap]

66. Poor Fetterman

ever since his stroke, he hasn't been too clear

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

68. I'm done with him

He needs to stop kissing Trump's ass.

[Tree Lady]

69. Does he think we are to sit on our feet

until everyone of our freedoms are taken away?

[Hekate]

71. I'm sorry, but I think poor Fetterman has become a fool

[diane in sf]

72. I wonder if he's watching fox these days. He seems really dysfunctional.

[FarPoint]

73. tRump has gotten to him....

just like the repugs.... he is being threatened or probably family/future for them etc are being threatened....

Fetterman can resign for health reasons and probably escape tRumps threats... Judt my guess...

[twodogsbarking]

74. clueless

[ck4829]

76. Speak to the voters then. They chose the party that didn't have the moral high ground, your own words, John.

[GiqueCee]

78. Senator Fetterman...

... a wise man gets his facts straight before he attacks his own people.

[AllyCat]

79. Fetterman needs to resign and take care of his health.

What a dreadful disappointment he has become.

[IrishBubbaLiberal]

80. Fetterman can go to hell, he has severe mental problems

Fetterman is a severely damaged man.

He has severe mental problems

[Brainfodder]

81. Does he hit the Republicans ALSO on this?

Running to social media and press the norm for stroke victims to accuse own party of bad behavior?

Got $um?

[doc03]

82. I watched the guy on live TV that stood bashing the vehicle with his skateboard, he is the Fox News

poster child now. I saw the person that set fire to one of the cars. Is there any kind of leadership that can control the bad actors? I watched
the first car that they showed burning for at least a half hour, then they started setting 4 more on fire one after another over at least another
half hour period seems there could have been someone that could have tried to stop it if there is any leadership to the protests. Like the WH said this couldn't have come out any better if it was scripted.