“Only the people save the people” is the phrase coined by the Spanish poet Antonio Machado during the Spanish Civil War, in a letter sent to his friend, the Russian novelist David Vygodsky.

In 1937, Machado recounted to the Jewish-Russian writer the defense of the city of Madrid against the fascists. He pretended to be the civilian population, defending itself as best it could. The government had left.

That phrase was repeated numerous times during the interviews I conducted during the peaceful protests in Los Angeles.

That phrase is far from true in Los Angeles.

While "law enforcement" authorities claim not to have participated in immigration raids, their role in repression was evident.

In addition to the terror of ICE agents in the most vulnerable communities, I was able to observe firsthand numerous Latino officers from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) who fired their "non-lethal ammunition" weapons left and right at their own people to disperse the assemblies.

I narrowly escaped one of their shots. The bullet hit a woman. She was on the corner of Aliso Street and Alameda Avenue.

I thought: "It's part of the job." “It’s the price a reporter has to pay to write the truth.

I entrusted my life and my work to God.

On June 8, I took photographs of the people who had prepared the Waymo robotaxis that they set on fire at night.

I had already left the “hot zone” of the protests: the Metropolitan Detention Center.

In particular, I vividly remember the face of a Hispanic officer last name Corona who, at the slightest provocation from young people waving the Mexican and American flags in his face, would unload his weapon as if he were preparing to go on an animal hunt.

From the crowd, someone shouted at him: “You have a family too. Quit your job. You’re a disgrace.” Sooner or later, God's justice will reach you and yours.

Almost all of those I saw protesting were screaming from the pain of seeing their community suffer the injustice of the raids ordered from the White House.

It was also evident that anarchists and professional agitators used the Mexican flag as a shield for their misdeeds.

The acts of looting and robbery of businesses would be a breeding ground for blaming the violence on immigrants.

However, the repression and extreme police surveillance including digital surveillance for facial recognition were present.

The authorities had vehicles parked where they captured every movement of the protesters. They recorded everything.

The next day, those of us who came out daily to report on the events were not spared from the tear gas.

A Hispanic-American agitator, covering his face with a bandana bearing the Mexican flag, threw a water bottle at members of the National Guard.

Several reporters were standing next to him, along with Romi de Frias of Univision News and her cameraman. The National Guard troops and federal HSI agents guarding the Metropolitan Detention Center opened fire. Three shots hit the anarchist. We ran quickly, and immediately a loud bang: Bang!

They had fired tear gas. Within seconds, irritation, tearing, burning, pain, blurred vision, and eyelid spasms set in. Nausea and vomiting. Unstoppable mucus. I couldn't breathe.

What lessons did the protests leave?

Digital cameras, drones, and police surveillance systems set the pace of government oppression and repression.

The intervention and power of police forces are no longer limited to a physical space.

The demonstrations are also taking place in an information war governed by algorithms.

What has happened in Los Angeles in recent days is not just a matter of public order. It's an alarm about the future of public space itself, freedom of assembly, and freedom of expression.

Are the people saving the people?

I doubt it. The repression of civilians will become increasingly brutal. Just like the mass deportations of hooded individuals who are literally kidnapping people in broad daylight.