Mayor Cherelle Parker silent on Los Angeles protests
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As other Democratic leaders condemn President Trump for federalizing California's National Guard amid protests in Los Angeles, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker is keeping silent.
The big picture: This week, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro joined more than a dozen other Democratic governors in calling Trump's deployment of California's National Guard without the state's consent an "alarming abuse of power."
- California Gov. Gavin Newsom called the deployment of military personnel "unlawful" and is suing the Trump administration over it.
- Newsom's office pulled Philly into the conversation Tuesday. "Are you going to send in the Marines the next time the Philadelphia Eagles win, too?" the Democratic governor's press team asked in a post on X alongside a photo of a fire set in the street as Birds fans celebrated the team's recent Super Bowl win.
Meanwhile, Democratic U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, whose district includes parts of Philly and the surrounding suburbs, denounced deploying military personnel in LA, saying in a statement that it "appears to be a manufactured escalation designed to justify abuses of power and stoke fear across the country."
- On the other hand, New York Mayor Eric Adams called "the escalation of protests" in LA "unacceptable" and warned that his city will not tolerate such clashes.
Zoom out: The responses come after protests popped up across the U.S. this week, including in Philly, in solidarity with LA demonstrators.
- Plus, demonstrations are planned in the Philly metro and hundreds of other cities this weekend to run counter to Trump's multimillion-dollar military parade in D.C.
State of play: Parker spokesperson Joe Grace declined Axios' request for comment about the mayor's stance on the LA protests.
- Grace deferred comment to the Philadelphia Police Department.
Zoom in: Philly police "continuously monitor events locally and nationally to ensure we are prepared for any scenario," PPD spokesperson Sgt. Eric Gripp tells Axios.
- He adds that officers will both safeguard public safety and ensure people can exercise their rights without fear or interference.
Between the lines: Avoiding political fights with Trump and sticking to her own agenda has long been Parker's playbook.
- That includes recently ditching Philly's "sanctuary city" label in favor of "welcoming city" as the Trump administration targets jurisdictions it accuses of not complying with federal immigration laws.
Go deeper: No Kings protests, Army parade to hit Philly streets this weekend