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L.A. Protesters Face Trump During Southern California Visit

Donald Trump holding two microphones. | DW News
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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - President Donald Trump will be met with protesters when he makes his first visit as president to the Los Angeles area today, and police said they are prepared to respond to any troubles.

"We are working with all of our local and federal partners to ensure that all security safeguards are in place for the president's visit, both along his route of travel and at the locations where events will take place,'' Los Angeles police Detective Meghan Aguilar said.

"We are not aware of any threats against the president's safety.''

Aguilar said the president's travel route, details of which are never fully disclosed for security reasons, will be set by the U.S. Secret Service. Local police generally issue an advisory to the public to alert motorists about areas to avoid during presidential visits, but those details had not been announced by this morning.

Trump is scheduled to fly into Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego County at 11:30 a.m., then head to Otay Mesa to view the 30-foot-tall border wall prototypes that have been erected there.

"I think that this is an important thing that the president has talked about -- the safety and security of the country -- and strongly feels that the wall is a big part of that," White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said during a Washington, D.C., briefing Monday.  "And he's going to look at those prototypes.''

She said the wall "is something that he is not going to back away from, and something that he is going to continue to push for.''

After viewing the wall prototypes, Trump is expected to make a speech to members of the military back at Air Station Miramar. He will then fly to Los Angeles, arriving at Los Angeles International Airport at 3:30 p.m., according to the White House. He will then likely be flown via military helicopter to the
West Los Angeles area.

Trump is scheduled to attend a Republican National Committee fundraiser in the Beverly Hills or Bel Air area Tuesday night. The location has not been disclosed. According to an invitation obtained by the Los Angeles Times, tickets for the event range from $35,000 just for the dinner up to $250,000 for the chance to meet Trump, attend a roundtable discussion and have a photo taken with him.

The fundraiser is being hosted by RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, national finance chairman Todd Ricketts and deputy national finance chairman Elliott Broidy, The Times reported.

A "Trump Out of L.A.'' protest is being organized by the Los Angeles Chapter of the advocacy group Union del Barrios.

"We call on all organizations who stand against fascism, imperialism, capitalism, racism and all forms of hatred to join this action,'' according to an event posting on Facebook. The posting notes that the location of the 4 p.m. protest and Trump's fundraiser has not been released as of this morning.

The visit will be Trump's first as president to California, a state with which his administration has clashed on issues of border security and immigration. But Sanders said Trump has a base of support in the state.

"While California may not have -- he may not have won that state, there is certainly a lot of support for this president, not just there but across the country,'' she said. "And he looks forward to being there and presenting a lot of the specific policies.''

State Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, led a Monday afternoon rally in Beverly Hills in advance of Trump's visit, denouncing the president's plans for a border wall and his immigration stances. De Leon, a candidate for U.S. Senate, offered to show Trump parts of California other than Bel Air or Beverly Hills.

"I'll take you to East L.A. and Boyle Heights,'' he said. "We'll go to Little Armenia and Koreatown. We'll go off to Chinatown, Filipinotown and Thai Town. In fact, I'll take you to my favorite taco stand in Lincoln Heights and see if you can handle the heat. Because I've got news for you, this is what America looks like and the future is bright.''

Gov. Jerry Brown sent a letter to Trump Monday, telling him that "California thrives because we welcome immigrants and innovators from across the globe.''

"You see, in California we are focusing on bridges, not walls,'' Brown wrote. "And that's more than just a figure of speech.'' Brown invited Trump to visit the Central Valley and see bridges and viaducts being built for a proposed north-south high-speed rail line.

Trump's departure time from the Los Angeles area has not been announced. Trump is scheduled to fly to Missouri Wednesday morning, so he will likely spend Tuesday night in the Southland.

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