At Camp Pendleton's main gate, a group consisting primarily of military veterans took to the sidewalks to voice their opposition to the potential use of active-duty troops against U.S. citizens in Los Angeles. This discontent comes from civil unrest in the city following contentious immigration raids. The group's sentiments are rooted in constitutional concerns and draw attention to the delicate balance between military readiness and civil liberties.
Over four dozen people participated in the protest, which veteran and activist Patrick Saunders organized. Despite the revolutionary undercurrents sweeping the country in recent events, the protesters carried not weapons of war but symbols of democracy, extending support to military members and denouncing the administration's decision to deploy the National Guard. "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," Saunders told The Coast News.
The protest aligns with concerns raised around Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's comments suggesting Marines may be deployed in a domestic capacity. This led to various veteran demonstrators at Camp Pendleton voicing their unease. One such veteran, Danny Jackson, expressed his discomfort, per CBS 8: "For him to put out that order to be ready, we may need you to go on the streets, makes me heartsick as a veteran."
Aligning closely with the themes of governance and martial oversight, the protests have echoed questions around the legality of such deployments. Demonstrators emphasized the importance of judicial and moral scrutiny pending active-duty orders. Urging Marines to contemplate the legality of actions they may be commanded to undertake, Patrick Saunders encouraged due diligence. According to CBS 8, Saunders said, "I'm saying if they're coming across a situation where they're given an order and if their conscience tells them it's unlawful, yes, I'm asking them to disobey that order."
