Karen Bass

The minute it hit citywide and even spilling over into communities that were middle class, upper middle class and affluent, then it became a real crisis.

And so trying to utilize the fact that the city felt it was a full crisis, but a punitive approach was just not going to win.

It was not going to produce the change.

We tried that in the 90s.

One thing I think about our American culture,

is that we tend to be very ahistorical.

Even what's happening right now with this administration, we act like it's an anomaly and nothing like this has ever happened before.

In fact, it's very important to know history so you can learn from it.

And I felt like we had forgotten the history of the 90s.

I didn't wanna see that repeated.

And then of course, when we were attacked by this administration, that served as a unifying factor in our city and our city is standing together

Standing strong with one clear voice that what is happening in our city from the federal government is unacceptable.

Well, and to be honest, I could applaud you.

Thank you.

And to be honest with you, I think in moments like that, you you just act because it was such a gross injustice.

I mean, to see troops parading through a park like that.

And that's a park that has been troubled for a long time.

I mean, we went through a mass shooting there.

We went through drug dealing and trafficking and all of that.

And we were making serious headway in cleaning up.