The Unbalanced Scales of Protest: Left vs. Right in the West, By Chris Knight (Florida)
Across Western democracies, a stark disparity has emerged in how protests are treated, revealing a troubling inconsistency in the application of law enforcement and societal tolerance. Recent events in Los Angeles, where federal immigration operations sparked violent clashes, highlight this issue. Protests by Left-leaning groups, often tied to progressive causes like immigration or social justice, frequently escalate into chaos with minimal immediate consequences, while conservative protests, such as those outside abortion clinics or against lockdown measures, face swift and heavy-handed law enforcement. This imbalance, particularly pronounced in places like the UK, raises questions about fairness, free speech, and the politicisation of public order.
In Los Angeles, two days of protests erupted in response to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations targeting undocumented immigrants. On June 6 and 7, 2025, federal agents arrested over 118 individuals, prompting crowds of up to 1,000 to gather, block vehicles, and, in some cases, assault officers, slash tires, and deface public property. Social media footage captured chaotic scenes of protesters surrounding vans, chanting, and clashing with authorities. The response from law enforcement included tear gas, flash-bangs, and arrests, but the scale of the unrest, described by the Department of Homeland Security as 800 protesters breaching a federal building, suggests a level of tolerance for disruption that allowed the situation to escalate significantly before intervention.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass condemned the ICE operations as sowing "terror" in communities, aligning with progressive narratives that frame immigration enforcement as inherently oppressive. Yet, the same authorities appeared slow to curb the protests' destructive elements, with the Los Angeles Police Department taking hours to respond to attacks on federal buildings. This hesitation contrasts sharply with how conservative protests are often handled.
Conservative Protests: The Iron Fist of Enforcement
Compare this to how conservative-leaning protests are treated. In the UK, for instance, pro-life demonstrators outside abortion clinics have faced stringent restrictions. The introduction of "buffer zones" around clinics, enacted in 2023, criminalises even silent prayer within 150 metres if deemed to influence patients. Violators face fines or imprisonment, with cases like that of Adam Smith-Connor, a veteran convicted for praying silently in Bournemouth, illustrating the swift crackdown. Similarly, during Covid-19 lockdowns, UK police arrested individuals for peaceful anti-lockdown protests, citing public health violations, while large-scale Black Lives Matter or pro-Palestine marches often proceeded with less interference, despite similar breaches of restrictions.
In the US, conservative protests, such as those by January 6th Capitol rioters or anti-abortion activists, face severe legal repercussions. The FBI and Department of Justice have prioritised prosecuting individuals involved in the Capitol breach, with over 1,000 convictions by 2025, many for non-violent offenses like trespassing. Meanwhile, Left-leaning protests, even when violent, often see lighter consequences. In 2020, riots following George Floyd's death caused billions in damage, yet arrests were often limited, and many charges were dropped. This pattern suggests a selective application of justice, where Leftist ideological alignment influences outcomes.
The UK: A Stark Example of Disparity
The UK exemplifies this imbalance. Protests by groups like Extinction Rebellion or Just Stop Oil, which disrupt public infrastructure, gluing themselves to roads or defacing monuments, often result in minimal immediate consequences. Police may arrest activists, but prosecutions are frequently lenient, with courts citing the "right to protest." In contrast, conservative protests, such as those against immigration policies or gender ideology in schools, face rapid suppression. In 2024, anti-immigration protests in Rotherham were met with riot police and mass arrests, while pro-Palestine marches, some featuring inflammatory rhetoric, were allowed to proceed with less intervention. This double standard, two-tiered policing, fuels perceptions that law enforcement favours progressive causes over conservative ones.
Why the Disparity?
Several factors contribute to this imbalance. First, cultural and institutional bias plays a role. Many Western law enforcement agencies and judicial systems operate in urban centers where progressive ideologies dominate. Mayors like Karen Bass or London's Sadiq Khan often aligns with Left-leaning causes, shaping policing priorities. Second, media narratives amplify this bias, framing Left-wing protests as "social justice" while casting conservative ones as "extremist." This influences public perception and political pressure on authorities.
Third, legal frameworks are increasingly tilted. In the UK, laws like the Public Order Act 2023 give police broad powers to restrict protests deemed disruptive, but enforcement appears selective. Progressive protests are often seen as punching up, thus tolerated, while conservative ones are viewed as punching down, triggering harsher responses.
The Consequences of Imbalance
This disparity undermines democratic principles. Free speech and the right to protest are cornerstones of open societies, but when one side faces disproportionate scrutiny, it breeds resentment and distrust. Conservative groups feel silenced, pushing some toward radicalisation, while unchecked Left-wing protests embolden further disruption. The Los Angeles clashes, where National Guard deployment was needed, show how escalation can spiral when authorities fail to act decisively early on.
Moreover, selective enforcement erodes public faith in institutions. When conservative protesters face jail for silent prayer, but Left-wing activists walk free after vandalism, the perception of a two-tiered system grows. This fuels populist movements, as seen in the UK with Reform UK's rising support or Trump's enduring appeal in the US.
To restore fairness, law enforcement must apply consistent standards. Protests, regardless of ideology, should face the same rules: peaceful assembly is protected, but violence, vandalism, or obstruction should trigger equal consequences. Clear guidelines on protest management, free from political bias, are essential. Media and political leaders must also avoid inflaming tensions by framing one side as inherently virtuous or villainous.
The Los Angeles protests, like those in the UK, highlight a critical unbalancing in how Western societies handle dissent. Until authorities address this double standard, the divide between Left and Right will only deepen, threatening the very freedoms both sides claim to champion.
"The White House will send the National Guard to Los Angeles after two days of protests that erupted in response to federal law enforcement immigration operations.
President Trump signed the memorandum on Saturday, the White House said. It came after clashes erupted between protesters and federal officers in the Los Angeles area.
In Los Angeles, the County Sheriff's Department said it responded Saturday to a protest in Paramount, about 16 miles (26km) south of downtown Los Angeles.
"As deputies arrived, it appeared that federal law-enforcement officers were in the area, and that members of the public were gathering to protest," the LA County Sheriff said. The Sheriff's Department wasn't involved in any federal law-enforcement operations, he said.
In videos on social media, people were seen walking and yelling in the streets. The scene was similar to a series of protests that erupted in downtown Los Angeles on Friday, when people reacted to federal agents engaged in what appeared to be immigration enforcement.
"Federal law enforcement operations are proceeding as planned this weekend in Los Angeles County," he said on X. "Anyone who obstructs federal agents will face arrest and prosecution."
The President of California's Service Employees International Union, David Huerta, was injured and detained Friday while protesting what the union said was a raid by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in Los Angeles. Videos captured people surrounding vans, shouting and chanting. The protests lasted overnight Friday.
Essayli said Friday on social media that agents were executing a warrant at a work site in Los Angeles when Huerta "deliberately obstructed their access by blocking their vehicle."
DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said Friday that some 800 protesters surrounded and breached a federal law-enforcement building in Los Angeles. She said protesters assaulted ICE officers, slashed tires and defaced public property.
She called on Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to stem the violencewrongfully detained in China prison shares story
"As Mayor of a proud city of immigrants, who contribute to our city in so many ways, I am deeply angered by what has taken place," Bass said after protests broke out. "These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city."
The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Los Angeles field office on Friday said its agents were aiding Homeland Security immigration operations around the country.
"As we have been asked to do, we are sending agents to participate in these immigration enforcement efforts. That includes assisting in cities where major operations are already under way and where we have special agents embedded on operational teams with DHS," a spokeswoman said.
The New York protesters were taken into custody after blocking the road in front of a building in lower Manhattan that houses the Department of Homeland Security as well as other federal agencies, the New York Police Department said. The protesters were issued summonses.
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