OCEANSIDE — More than four dozen people gathered on June 8 at the main gate of Camp Pendleton near Oceanside to protest the Trump administration’s “threat to use National Guard and Marines against U.S. demonstrators,” according to its organizer.
Organizer Patrick Saunders told The Coast News the protest, which started at noon Sunday and ended several hours later, had a mostly positive reception. Photos showed demonstrators standing on the sidewalk near the Marine base, some holding signs and many holding American flags.
“We would like to show our support to the military members there and let them know the public is (on) our side, but also we want to condemn the administration’s actions of using the active-duty National Guard against U.S. citizens,” said Saunders, an Air Force veteran and Encinitas resident who volunteers with the grass-roots political group Indivisible 49.
The base later announced that due to the protest at the main gate, alternate gates and routes were available and recommended.
A Camp Pendleton spokeswoman told CNS that the facility would not disclose whether it had extra law enforcement out in response to the protest, for security and safety reasons.
“Our priority is the safety and security of all Marines, Sailors and residents on MCB Camp Pendleton. To ensure the safety and security of all, we do not disclose force protection details,” Staff Sgt. Kathryn Lynch wrote.
The protest follows President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles after two days of occasionally violent protests over federal immigration raids.
That move drew strenuous objection from Gov. Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and many other Los Angeles-area Democrats.
Newsom also criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s “absurd threat to deploy United States Marines on American soil — to escalate tensions and incite violence.”
Hegseth said Saturday that he had placed U.S. Marines at Camp Pendleton on “high alert” to be deployed if needed.
On Saturday, a small protest was held in San Diego’s South Park neighborhood “to stand up for the migrant community” a little over a week after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided two locations of the popular Italian restaurant Buona Forchetta on May 30. Three people were detained in those raids.
