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ON THE POLIS - Destabilizing rhetoric, presented as free speech, is shaping Los Angeles’s political landscape today. It is a clever ploy. And it is troubling. Claims of defending liberty often mask actions that ultimately harm society.
When people advocate for ideas outside the mainstream, such as abolishing the police, they use free speech as a defense, and in so doing, move the discussion toward free speech rather than the agitating speech itself. Thus, they become shielded from criticism.
I was especially upset when I read that City Hall, the heart of the city, where civic unity is to rule, became an “abolish the police” spectacle.
Three weeks ago, a presentation took place behind what is widely regarded as a “sacred” area of Los Angeles City Hall, a space reserved for official proceedings and accessible only with approval from council leadership. According to multiple sources, including a New York Post article by Jamie Paige, published January 9, 2026, “blistering anti-police, anti-ICE screed played out inside Los Angeles City Hall — not as a protest gone rogue, but as a fully sanctioned event, greenlit and hosted by Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, a far-left DSA (Democratic Socialists of America) member.”
The event was allowed to proceed uninterrupted for 15 minutes, with speakers calling to “abolish police,” denouncing law enforcement funding and urging the city to divest from LAPD, according to the article.
Inside City Hall, a caption in the Post said, speakers and attendees wore “Abolish Police” jackets and shirts reading “F— the police.”
It seems that today the filters that define decorum have collapsed. Profanity has become an efficient emotional signal. Respectability and good behavior are things of the past.
The event focused on the New Year’s Eve shooting of Keith Porter, who was killed by an off-duty ICE agent after allegedly firing a rifle into the air—a practice city officials note is illegal and poses serious risks to bystanders.
Joseph Williams, a Black Lives Matter Los Angeles activist, urged city councilmembers to shift funding away from law enforcement and hold the mayor accountable, citing both federal immigration and local policing in connection to Porter’s death.
Eunisses Hernandez, who was elected as the First District councilmember in 2022 with the Los Angeles Times endorsement on a police-abolition platform, led the presentation. With experience as a community organizer, Hernandez has consistently expressed opposition to traditional law enforcement practices, including opposing police salary increases and voting against Mayor Karen Bass’s 2023 city budget due to its allocation of approximately one-quarter of city spending to the LAPD, the Post reported.
Unfortunately, while Hernandez is organizing protests to defund the police, she has severely neglected her district. The $500 million iconic 6th Street bridge is a mess. Graffiti and garbage are all over the place. It has become an eyesore that really makes the city look on the precipice of apocalypse. It is a cry for the city. The bridge represents what Los Angeles is supposed to be about at its best, and if somebody looks at it now, they inevitably are going to think this place is a disaster. This ugly condition of the bridge is a disservice to Boyle Heights and the adjacent communities. After all, is this the image of Los Angeles we wish to convey to the millions of visitors during the World Cup in a few months? And of course, gearing up for the Olympics, having the City`s symbols which the bridge has become now, a shambles heightens the sense that things are out of control. SHAME!!
And at other part of the city "Search for bodies, guns in LA`s notorious MacArthur Park is suddenly halted by lefty pol" according to Jaime Paige of the New York Post.
I support demonstrations for better government, but using an official civic platform to advance an abolitionist message is not correct. This was not a protest outside City Hall, it was inside the formal chambers, an area reserved for ceremonial and administrative presentations. That is why its exceptional nature attracted considerable public attention.
Democracies protect free speech, even criticism of their own institutions, unless it becomes incitement or coordinated harm. This recent event also shows the fragmented civic consensus in Los Angeles, where communities have vastly different views and experiences with policing and public safety—some call for abolition, while others want more enforcement.
I stand on the side of reason and common sense.
A working democracy depends on a neutral body to enforce laws, stop violence, and settle disputes—otherwise, private groups like gangs or militias may take over these roles.
Collective security is a public good, Safe streets benefit all, and only a well-funded, accountable public body can maintain this safety.
Effective policing safeguards vulnerable populations. In situations where formal policing fails, those who are most affected include economically disadvantaged individuals, the elderly, immigrants, small business owners. Los Angeles depends on a professional, accountable police force to handle emergencies, prevent violence, and maintain public order.
Of course, clear, and consistent police standards play a crucial role in guiding expectations and reducing uncertainty during investigations. These guidelines should focus on safeguarding human life, emphasizing de‑escalation methods, requiring officers to step in if a colleague uses excessive force, and ensuring prompt medical assistance is given when necessary.
Our society depends on how safety is generated. If the mechanisms of safety become arbitrary, abusive, or unaccountable, they undermine the very civilization they are meant to protect. So, the equilibrium is delicate: strong enough to maintain order, constrained enough to maintain legitimacy.
All of this is important because our public safety underpins all aspects of society—from transit and commerce to education.
Martin Luther King, Jr., was very correct when he said: “This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a good place for all of us to live in.”
(Nick Patsaouras is an electrical engineer and civic leader. A longtime public advocate, he ran for Mayor in 1993 with a focus on rebuilding L.A. through transportation after the 1992 civil unrest. He has served on major public boards, including the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Metro, and the Board of Zoning Appeals, helping guide infrastructure and planning policy in Los Angeles. He is the author of the book "The Making of Modern Los Angeles.")
